Next Lifetime
by smc-27
Summary: It started out innocently enough. Unlikely friendships and bonds made in the small town where they all grew up. But somewhere along the line, something changed. Everything changed. AU. Will be LP, NH.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** This is a new chapter story that I've got almost entirely written. It won't be a long one; 10-13 chapters at most.

Basically, this is an AU story, based on what could have been, had Lucas _never joined the Ravens_, and how different everything would have turned out. I think anything else you need to know will be revealed along the way.

**----**

It started out innocently enough. A mid-day accidental meeting in a cemetery, of all places. It was cool and cloudy, and it felt like rain, and when those first few drops fell, he was going to leave. But he couldn't. It wasn't that he couldn't leave her there by herself, it was that he didn't want to miss out on a chance to talk to her. And it had always been that way between them, but he'd get scared or nervous or shy. Even now, as a grown man, he felt his hands clamming up a little at just the sight of her. They'd never had a proper conversation - not once - though he'd watched her from afar for so many years. Too many years.

He was surprised she was even in town. He knew she didn't live there anymore, instead choosing to live with her fiancée in Charlotte.

Fiancée. She was engaged. To his brother, though he knew that the other man would never acknowledge that they were, in fact, related.

His phone rang, and his girlfriend's name flashed across the screen, but he hit ignore. The sound of his phone called that beautiful blonde's attention to him, and she offered a small smile from across the grass. He raised his hand to wave, and then the thunder clapped, and they both looked skyward and began to chuckle.

"Think that's a sign?" she called, watching as he tilted his head questioningly.

He stood from his spot and made his way towards her. It wasn't more than 50 feet, but it felt like his legs weren't moving at all. He was more confident than he'd been as a teenager, stealing glances at her in the hallways of their high school, but he was still a little nervous.

"A sign?" he asked as she stood.

"You and me in the same place, thunder strikes," she rattled off. "Can't mean anything good."

"You don't even know me," he said with a smirk.

She knew that smirk. His brother had the same one.

"I know _of_ you," she pointed out. The thunder struck again and she looked skyward before meeting his eyes. "Definitely a sign."

He laughed and shook his head.

"I should go before it starts to pour," he said.

There was something about her that he just didn't want to tear himself away from. Maybe he couldn't. Something about her was just screaming_ 'don't leave me'_, and he would have thought he was crazy, but that feeling was just so strong that he couldn't ignore it. She stuffed her hands in her pockets and looked at her feet, but made no move to leave.

"You want to...? I mean, if you're not busy, we could grab a coffee or something," she said quietly.

"Um...yeah," he agreed, nodding slightly. "I mean, if that's not going to cause problems for you."

"Problems?" she asked.

"With Nathan," he specified.

"I know how to handle Nathan. I've been doing it for 6 years," she said with a laugh as they started walking.

They were silent as they headed towards the nearest coffee shop, each of them wondering _why now_, and _why here_, and just _why_. It had been four years since they graduated high school, and he hadn't ever even been aware that she knew who he was. The last time he even saw her was probably two years prior, in the hot summer sun when she was at the beach with Nathan. He suspected they were home from Duke for the summer. He'd walked back the direction he came in order to avoid an awkward encounter. It would have bothered him, but he'd been doing it for as log as he could remember; all his life, really. He was the illegitimate son of the man who became mayor, and his existence was seen as nothing more than an inconvenience for his 'father'. Nathan had been raised to hate him, and so the two steered clear of each other; an impressive feat in such a small town.

"Who were you visiting?" she asked abruptly, turning to look at him.

"My uncle. Keith," he explained.

"Oh. Of course," she said, shaking her head at her inability to remember that detail. But Nathan had never been close to Keith, and she remembered him complaining at even having to go to the funeral. It was one of those moments that had made her wonder what kind of person he was, to question going to a family members' funeral.

"You?" he asked. He wasn't sure how he could tell, but he knew that she was thinking about something heavy.

"My mom. She died when I was little," she said, tucking a curl behind her ear. "Car accident."

"Keith, too," he nodded, though he suspected she already knew that. "I guess when it's your time, it's your time."

"Yeah, I guess," she said absently.

"Peyton, if this is too weird, or whatever, we don't have to...I mean, I won't be insulted," Lucas said hurriedly after another few moments of silence.

"It's not...weird, I mean," she insisted, before realizing that her stuttering did nothing to prove her statement true. The smile he gave her set her at ease, because she knew that he, too, understood that it was a little bit weird. Just a little bit.

They stepped into the small coffee shop, both relieved to find that there weren't many people inside. He asked what she'd like, and he ordered while she chose a table. He set her drink in front of her a few minutes later, as he took a seat across from her.

"Tall decaf mocha, extra foam," he announced with a smile.

"Thanks," she said happily. "What about you?"

"What about me?" he asked, watching as she pointed to his cup. "Just a black coffee. Kind of boring."

"Not boring," she insisted. "Not boring at all, actually."

Their eyes locked, and for a moment they each forgot about their significant others. His girlfriend wasn't in this town somewhere, wondering why he hadn't answered her call, and her fiancée wasn't at the beach house they had just bought - well, _he_ had just bought - knowing that he shouldn't expect her visit to the cemetery to be quick.

"So," they both said at the same time, attempting to break that moment. They each laughed and he gestured for her to go first.

"Who called earlier?" she asked. It was brazen and completely unlike her to be so nosey. If anyone could understand the need to keep things private, it was her. But something in her just wanted to know.

"Oh," he said, just slightly taken aback. "It was my girlfriend."

"Oh!" she said quickly.

"Surprised?" he laughed.

"Oh, no. I didn't mean..."

"It's OK. Trust me, I didn't see it coming either," he laughed, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand as he shook his head.

"So who's the girl?" she asked, taking a sip of her coffee.

"You remember Haley James?" he asked, watching as her eyes went wide.

"Valedictorian, tutor, smartest girl in school, Haley James?"

"The one and only," he confirmed. "She went to Stanford, and I went to UNC, but we just kind of fell into it, you know? Best friends forever and then something changed. We've been together almost two years, I guess."

"That's great," she said with a genuine smile.

"Yeah, it is. She's a teacher and I'm a coach. Both working at Tree Hill High," he said, laughing.

"Funny, how surprising life can be sometimes," she said sincerely.

And he wasn't sure what she meant by that, or why her green eyes locked with his in that moment, but he didn't really care. It was the truest sentence he'd heard in ages, and it was possibly the simplest. It felt philosophical and heavy somehow. He got the feeling that she meant much more than she hoped he'd pick up on

"So, how's Nathan?" he asked quietly.

He always regretted that he never knew his brother. They'd lived completely different lives, and he was fine with that, to a degree. He still wished that he knew the man with whom he shared a blood relation. They'd barely spoken since they turned 9.

"He's good. We're just here until training camp starts," she explained. "Then it's back to Charlotte."

She'd been with Nathan since they were in high school, and she'd followed him to Duke willingly. She loved him. She'd loved him since they were 16 years old and just discovering what that emotion was. He was cocky and arrogant, and she thought she might just hate him most of the time, but he was different with her. They'd have their battles and arguments, but he'd apologize - sincerely, most of the time - and all would be forgiven. And he'd changed a lot as he grew up, eventually turning into the kind of man she'd always known he could be. He proposed right before they graduated from Duke. It was a simple proposal, with a few flowers and a few candles, and her gorgeous boyfriend down on one knee as soon as she'd stepped through the door after class. She'd started crying and thrown her arms around him before even looking at the ring.

"It doesn't surprise me that he's playing pro," Lucas said with a shadow of a smile that he really wished he didn't have to hide. He was proud of his brother, though he knew the man didn't care.

"Yeah," she agreed. "It's all he ever worked for."

"What about you?" he asked.

"What about me?" she inquired with a shrug. "I'm Nathan Scott's girlfriend."

"You're more than that," he insisted under his breath. He hated that she felt that way; no one should feel that.

"You know, I never really understood why he didn't make an effort to get to know you," she said, brushing off his comment, though the blush on her cheeks let him know she heard him.

"Yeah. Me neither," he admitted sadly.

She just looked at him and offered a weak smile, and then explained that she had to get going, and that she might see him around.

She walked away and he sat, completely confused as to what had just happened between them.

----

It started out innocently enough. She was wandering through the halls of the school she'd be teaching at in a couple weeks' time. Her arms were full and she had a coffee in her hand and her phone to her ear. She was looking down when she crashed into a hard body. Her things fell to the floor, and her coffee splashed on whoever she'd hit.

"I'm so sorry!" she cried, bending down to pick up her things. A hand reached out to help her, and when she looked up and saw the face of the man she'd run into, she just rolled her eyes. "Or maybe not."

"I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention," he said sincerely.

"I can get this myself. I don't need your help," she said curtly. "What are you even doing here?"

He didn't need to wonder how she knew him. He didn't want to sound conceited, but pretty much everyone in the town knew him. Her animosity, however, he would have liked to call into question.

"They're retiring my jersey. I just came to go over a few things," he explained, handing her a few books as she stood. "Lucky my meeting happened before you branded me with scalding coffee."

His attempted joke didn't amuse her. And actually, she felt a little bad for spilling the liquid on his nice navy blue button down shirt.

"I'm sorry," she repeated, closing her eyes and actually showing her remorse. "I think I have a tee shirt in class room. I mean...if you want."

"I don't think it'll fit me," he said with a smirk.

She knew that smirk. His brother had the same one.

"It's a mens' tee shirt," she said with a laugh. "Come on. I insist."

"It's Haley, right?" he asked as they started walking.

"Wow. Nathan Scott knows my name?" she said sarcastically.

"I remember you," he admitted. "Valedictorian, really smart. Stanford, right?"

She just looked up at him in shock. How did he know that? She was sure that he didn't even know she existed, let alone what her name was or where she went to school. She noticed the grin playing on his lips, and for some reason, it made her let her guard down. Could it be that he'd changed? She knew it was too soon to say, but there was a hint of softness to him that she didn't remember being there when she'd last seen him as a cocky 18 year old.

"I remember more than you'd think," he pointed out.

"Apparently," she muttered.

"Can I help you with anything?" he asked, watching as she struggled to keep her stack of books in her arms.

"I'm fine, thanks," she answered, careful to look straight ahead.

"Let me buy you a soda from the vending machine. It's the least I could do," he insisted, flashing her those blue eyes that she was sure he used to get whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted.

But they worked.

"Alright," she sighed dramatically, making him chuckle as they moved to stand in front of the machine. "Coke, please."

"Yeah, I figured you'd need the caffeine," he said with a smile as he pushed the appropriate buttons. "I mean, since the rest of it is on my shirt."

"I'm really sorry," she said again.

"It's alright," he laughed, handing her her drink.

They were quiet the rest of the way until they stepped into her classroom. She'd never been a fan of Nathan Scott's. He was arrogant and conceited and mean-spirited, and to top it all off, his complete disregard for Lucas' existence infuriated her. She never understood why he couldn't just let the past live in the past and get to know his brother. She knew that Dan Scott had a huge part in that, but certainly when Nathan grew up and began making his own choices, he could have made an effort.

She set down her things before reaching for a bag in the closet. She pulled out the light blue fabric and tossed it to him.

"I can't wear this," he said with a breathy chuckle as he held up the garment.

"What? Why?" she asked hurriedly.

"Because I went to Duke," he explained. "I can't be seen in a Tar Heels shirt. Where did you even get this?"

"It's my boyfriend's," she admitted, immediately regretting saying it. She took the shirt out of his hands and dropped it back into her bag.

"Really?" he asked, surprise etched on his face.

"Is it that inconceivable that I could have a boyfriend?" she asked incredulously, placing a hand on her hip.

"No!" he answered quickly. "No, not at all. Who's the guy?"

"You don't know him," she said curtly, knowing that her statement was true.

"All the more reason to tell me about him," he said with a sly grin.

She let out a sigh and rolled her eyes, then looked at him pointedly.

"His name is Lucas," she said, her tone surprisingly even and steady, considering her current mood and the emotions she was feeling. She looked at him trying to read his reaction, and it was pretty simple. She wasn't sure she'd ever read Nathan Scott so clearly in her life.

When she and Lucas had first kissed, it was a bit of an unexpected and awkward moment. She was crying over some musician who'd broken her heart, and she'd returned to Tree Hill for her reading break, and fallen into Lucas' arms as he consoled her. He told her that she deserved better, and that any man who ended up with her was lucky. He told her she'd find the one who'd hold her heart as carefully as he could, and she'd smiled up at him. That moment, with her cheeks wet with tears and her big brown eyes gazing into his, he realized that he wanted to be that man. She must have felt the same, because she kissed him first. She'd apologized and tried to leave his room, but he grabbed her by the arm before she could go, and they spent the rest of her break together, inseparable. The long distance didn't faze them, and when they both returned to Tree Hill, she moved into the house he'd bought the year before. They were happy, and they both loved that they'd fallen in love with their best friend. Other people search for that kind of thing forever.

"Oh," he said simply, hanging his head.

"Yeah," she sighed. "Look, I actually have a lot to do, here, so..."

"So...?" he said, sitting on the desk across from hers.

A part of him wanted her to tell him to leave. But a bigger part of him wanted to make her smile a genuine smile again. That beautiful smile that had lit up her entire face. And, if he was honest, a part of him wanted her to talk to him about his brother, though he'd never admit that aloud.

"Make yourself comfortable, Mr. Scott," she muttered sarcastically.

He stared at her expectantly and she rolled her eyes before handing him a few paper towels so he could dry his shirt. He took them from her with a smile and began dabbing at his torso.

"So how was Stanford? I haven't been to California in ages," he said, trying to engage her in a conversation.

"It was amazing. Best four years of my life," she admitted as she sat in her own chair and took a sip of her drink.

"So why are you here?" he asked with a raised brow. It was a blunt question, but he had come to learn pretty quickly that she didn't like the subtleties.

"Lucas is here," she shrugged.

"Right," he said softly.

"He's coaching the Ravens now," she informed him. "Pretty impressive for someone who never got a chance to play organized basketball."

He knew, of course, that Lucas was the new coach. He'd heard that through the athletic department, and while he would have liked to be annoyed by that, he actually felt what he assumed was pride.

"Good for him," he said flatly.

"You know, I never really understood your whole Greek tragedy of a relationship," she said bluntly. "Just because your dad's an ass doesn't mean you have to be one, too."

She saw a flash of hurt in his eyes, and she regretted speaking so candidly. She realized she'd just jumped to conclusions about a man she really didn't know, and no matter how much she wanted to ignore it, she knew that wasn't right.

"My dad _is_ an ass," he said before she could apologize. "And I did what he told me to do for a long time."

"Well, don't you think it's time to break that mold?" she asked softly, leaning forward and resting her chin on her hands.

"I have," he insisted. "But I'm sure your boyfriend doesn't want to have anything to do with me. And that's fine."

"Is it?" she asked.

She noticed that he wouldn't say Lucas' name, and she would have called him on that, but there was remorse on his face, and she got the feeling that he really did feel badly about how things had turned out.

Her question, those two simple words, made him rethink everything he'd come to accept. He didn't know how she did it, but looking into those deep brown eyes of hers, he wondered how she'd given him perspective after only speaking with her for 10 minutes.

There was something about her that was somehow making him both comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time.

----

"Hey, baby," Nathan greeted Peyton as he stepped into their house and saw her sitting on the sofa. "How was your day?"

"Good," she said happily. "It's nice to visit my mom." He smiled and leaned over to kiss her cheek before sitting down next to her. "How was the meeting?"

"It was fine," he said with a shrug.

She knew he hated all these ceremonies and accolades, and that they actually made him pretty uncomfortable, for someone who was so used to being in the spotlight. He'd insisted that playing the game was one thing, but all the extra stuff was totally different. He was comfortable in the game.

"Your mom called. They want to take us to dinner," she said absently, turning her attention back to her book.

"Great," he groaned. "Another night of listening to Dan go on and on about my training schedule."

"Just ignore him, Nate," she insisted seriously, looking back at him. "Your training schedule is insane. I can vouch for that."

"Because I'm always at the gym?" he asked with a furrowed brow.

"No," she said with a smirk. He knew that look. "Because you've got the sexiest body I've ever seen."

"Is that right?"

He leaned over and kissed her before moving so he was perched over her and she was laying beneath him. He heard her mutter something that may have been a protest, but then she giggled and drew his head closer to hers for another kiss. If being with her made them a little late for dinner, he didn't care.

----

"Hey, Luke," Haley said happily as she stepped into the kitchen of their home.

"Hey, babe," he said, wrapping an arm around her when she moved to stand next to him at the stove. He leaned down to kiss her before turning back to tend to the meal he was preparing.

"Mac and cheese?" she asked with a giddy smile. "I love you!"

"Love you, too," he said with a laugh. "Why don't you go change, and it'll be ready when you come back down."

"How'd I get so lucky?" she asked, moving to stand in front of him and wrapping her arms around his waist as she looked up at him.

"It helps that you're gorgeous," he said, dipping down to kiss her once more. He pulled away, but her hands found the back of his neck and she brought his lips to hers again.

"Can dinner wait?" she asked in a low voice, searching his eyes after they'd parted.

"Definitely," he responded, letting her lead him towards the stairs.

She giggled when she heard him groan as she tugged her shirt over her head and dropped it on the stairs behind her. He stopped worrying about whether he'd left the stove on or not, and saw only her.

**----**

**A/N:** Let me know what you think. Don't hate me for the pairings. It's AU!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **OK, I get that the LH is a little bit weird (trust me, it's totally bizarre to write it, too). Just keep in mind that it's AU, and that if Lucas had never joined the team, there's the possibility that he and Haley could have fallen into a relationship at some point.

I will also say that this story doesn't have much LH or NP interaction, just bits and pieces here and there. It'll mostly focus on LP and NH relationships.

**----**

Peyton had mentioned in passing that she'd seen Lucas at the cemetery when she was there one time, and Nathan had just nodded as though it was a simple piece of information that he wasn't entirely interested in. She left out that she'd had a conversation with Lucas, figuring that Nathan just wouldn't care to hear anything more about the guy.

But hearing Lucas' name had affected Nathan, he just didn't show it. Since that day with Haley and those words she'd spoken, questioning whether or not he was alright with knowing nothing about a member of his family, he was asking himself the same question over and over again.

So they spent two weeks decorating their beachside home, and driving back and forth between Tree Hill and Charlotte, decorating the home they'd bought there, too.

--

Lucas never told Haley about his brief encounter with Peyton, not that there was really anything to tell. Haley never told him that she'd spoken with Nathan, either, and she would have felt guilty about that, but there was really nothing to tell, and she hadn't seen - and had no intentions of seeing - the younger Scott again.

Their weeks had been busy, a flurry of activity as he tried to get ready to scout players and build a winning team, and she started preparing for her first year of solo teaching. Neither really had a lot of time to think about the two people they'd shared brief moments with weeks before.

----

Lucas and Haley were walking down the street on a Saturday morning, holding hands after having breakfast together at his mom's café. It was something they'd done nearly every Saturday they spent in the town since they'd gotten together. They would eat and chat with his mother, and then they'd stroll through their town, stopping at their favourite book store and the record store.

Peyton noticed the couple on the other side of the street as she and Nathan walked toward the coffee shop they frequented. She locked eyes with the blonde when neither of their significant others were looking, and she offered a smile as he sent her a nod.

"Dammit," Haley muttered, stopping in her tracks.

"What's wrong?" Lucas asked, breaking his gaze with the girl across the street.

"I left my phone at Karen's. I'll be right back, OK?" she said with a smile, leaning up to peck him on the lips. "I'll meet you at the bookstore."

Peyton watched the petite brunette take off, hurrying back in the direction the couple had just walked from.

"Shit," Nathan said, pulling his hand from Peyton's to rummage through his pockets, and pulling her from her thoughts.

"What?" Peyton asked, looking back to him.

"I left my wallet in the car," he told her, leaning down to kiss her cheek. "Go ahead, I'll meet you in there."

Lucas crossed the street to get to the book store he and Haley were going to, and he noticed Nathan walking away.

"Fancy meeting you here," Peyton said with a smile.

"In a town like this? I'm surprised we haven't seen each other every day," he laughed.

"So that's Haley, huh?" she asked, gesturing in the direction she'd seen the petite brunette head.

"That's her," Lucas said, smiling.

"She's different. I mean, we're all different than we were at 17, but...," she said, stumbling over her words. "She's beautiful."

"Yeah, she is," Lucas agreed.

He saw Haley running across the street towards him, and laughed at the way her now-shorter hair moved as she did - she'd never been the most graceful runner. He'd always been a fan of longer locks, but this style was still nice. He loved it when she'd had long wavy hair, though. It wasn't lost on him that the blonde woman before him had those loose curls like Haley'd had once upon a time.

"Your mom was just about to call you and tell you I left it," she said with a laugh before really noticing Peyton. "Hi!"

"Hey," Peyton greeted with a smile.

"Peyton, this is my girlfriend, Haley. Haley, you remember Peyton," Lucas said, by way of introduction.

"Yeah, of course!" Haley said happily, extending her hand. "Wow. That is _quite_ a ring."

"Oh," Peyton said, glancing down at her left hand. "Yeah."

Lucas hadn't really looked at it the first time they'd bumped into each other. Of course, he'd known she was engaged, but seeing that perfect diamond on her finger made it more real somehow.

"We should probably go before he comes back, right?" Haley said softly, looking up at Lucas with a compassionate glance.

"Yeah, we should," he insisted, looking from Haley to Peyton. "We'll see you."

"See you," Peyton said with a weak wave, watching as the happy couple started off down the street and away from her.

For some reason, seeing Lucas with his girlfriend made Peyton completely uncomfortable. She wanted to ignore it, to quell that feeling or chalk it up to being the third wheel for a moment. But she watched him slip his arm around Haley's shoulder and lean down to kiss her temple, and she had to look away.

"Was that Haley?" Nathan asked curiously as he walked up behind Peyton again.

"Yeah. And Lucas," Peyton said softly. She briefly wondered how he knew Haley, but decided against questioning him about it.

"Oh," Nathan said, remorse evident in his voice. He wasn't sure if he was upset to have missed Haley, or to have missed Lucas. Maybe both.

"Come on. Let's get me some caffeine," she said, slipping her hand into his again.

"Yeah, I don't want to deal with mean Peyton all day," he teased, making her swat his arm as he laughed.

----

A week later, Lucas was in the school's empty gym well after school hours, when he heard a woman's heels clacking against the hardwood. He'd assumed it was Haley, since she'd made a habit of stopping in and watching the occasional practice, or meeting him afterward so they could go home together. Sometimes, when he'd go there late in the evening to clear his head like he was doing now, she'd come through the doors after about an hour and they'd talk about whatever was bothering him, just the two of them and their voices echoing off the hardwood.

He was shocked to see Peyton walking towards him.

"Hi," she said weakly.

He could tell immediately that something was wrong. Her eyes were puffy and her cheeks were red, and he knew women well enough to know that those were the tell tale signs that she'd been crying.

He didn't know why she'd come to him, or how she even knew where to find him. He kind of liked that she had, though. She was a nice girl, and he figured she could maybe give him insight into the family he'd never had. He didn't so much care about Dan - he'd given that up a long time ago - but he wanted to know about Nathan. And he really, really hated himself for that.

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly, taking a few steps closer to her.

"Nothing," she said, shaking her head and avoiding eye contact.

"Peyton," he admonished.

She looked at him, and he could tell that no matter how stubborn and stoic she wanted to appear, she really did want to tell him what was making her so upset. She wouldn't have been there if she didn't. But when she was driving past and saw his car there, she knew he'd somehow help her. He was somehow objective, though he had every reason not to be.

"We had a fight," she admitted as she sat on the bleachers.

"Oh," he said softly, sitting down next to her.

"I said I didn't want to be in Charlotte full time, and that I wanted to be here," she admitted, letting a sob escape. "He got mad, even though he'll be away so much. He said he couldn't deal with that right now, and he left."

She really had no reason for telling him anything, let alone something so huge and personal, but she trusted him, no matter how strange the circumstances, or how short a time they'd known each other. If you could even say they knew each other. But he was kind to her, and there was something about him that she still couldn't put her finger on.

"What do you mean, he left?" Lucas asked with a furrowed brow.

"He just took his car keys and walked out," she said. "I was just trying to be honest."

"It's OK," he assured her, rubbing her back comfortingly.

"I just said that I'll be here when he's on the road, and I'll still be in Charlotte when he is. I really don't see the big deal," she said, letting more tears slip down her cheeks.

"He'll come around," Lucas insisted. "He's probably just stressed because this is his first pro season, and he doesn't know what to expect."

"Maybe," she whispered. "Maybe you're right. Oh God! I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm bothering you with this!"

"You're not bothering me," he said with a crooked smile. "I don't mind."

"Thank you," she said sincerely after a moment, letting her eyes stay on his for longer than either of them really needed.

"Does he do that a lot? Just walk out?" Lucas asked quietly.

"Not as much as he used to," she admitted with a laugh as she wiped her cheeks. "He's really changed a lot, for the better, over the years. But sometimes he can still be that same arrogant jock that you probably remember."

"Yeah, well I think he has his father to thank for that," Lucas mumbled.

"He definitely does," she confirmed. "But Dan backed off a lot after Nathan's first year at Duke."

"Why?"

"Because Nathan told him to," she said with a raised eyebrow, watching as his expression changed to one of surprise. "Dan always had this whole inadequacy thing. I mean, no one else would really say that, but it's so obvious. First it was basketball, then the dealership, then he ran for mayor. It was just like he was always out to prove he was better than everyone as opposed to just living his life. And he'd push Nathan so hard because he saw his son as a reflection on himself."

She paused for a moment when she realized what she'd said, and saw him look down to the floor, then she reached out and placed her hand on his forearm.

"I'm sorry. Lucas, I wasn't thinking," she said hurriedly.

"It's OK, Peyton," he said with a smile. "Who would have thought the abandoned child would be better off than the one who was born with the silver spoon?"

She laughed weakly and removed her hand from his arm, and she could tell that hearing about Dan affected him a little bit more than he'd want to let on.

"Well, Nathan finally pushed back, and that was that. He told Dan in no uncertain terms that it wasn't about him any more, that it never was. Dan still tries to pull the possessive crap sometimes, pressuring Nathan and whatever," she explained. "But Nathan has busted his ass to get where he is, and he hasn't taken any shortcuts."

"I know that," Lucas said, nodding. "I kind of followed his career. He _is_ my brother."

He said the last part almost in a whisper, and she just sighed, because she really wished the two of them had a proper relationship.

"You ever think you could have joined the team?" she asked after a moment of looking around the gym.

"Whitey asked me to," he admitted for the first time. No one other than Haley knew that, and he wasn't sure why he was telling Peyton, but it felt right. "Junior year, he asked me if I wanted to play Varsity."

"Why didn't you?" she asked in shock, shaking her head.

"This was Dan's gym, then it was Nathan's gym. I was just a kid from the River Court," he said with a shrug.

"It's your gym now," she said with a smile, watching as the smirk spread on his lips and he nodded.

"You're gonna be fine, Peyton," he insisted, changing the subject again. "Maybe you just need to meet him in the middle on this one."

"Maybe," she said absently, lost in the light blue of those eyes that she thought just might know her a little too well.

----

"What are you doing here?" Nathan asked, noticing the girl sitting on the bleachers at the old court by the river.

"Please, I've practically lived here since I was 8," she said with a smile before noticing the look on his face and changing her tone. "You OK?"

"You care?" he asked curtly. He watched as she raised her brow and looked at him pointedly. "I'm sorry. I just had a stupid fight with Peyton."

"You want to talk about it?" she asked tentatively.

She wasn't sure what it was about Nathan. Maybe it was that he was so similar to Lucas in a few ways, but so different from him in others, but she found herself intrigued by him. Those deep blue eyes seemed to have so much to say, but it was as though he never wanted anyone to know that.

"She just told me that she doesn't want to live in Charlotte with me," he said, sitting on the bleachers next to her and staring at his hands. "I mean, she said she'll be there when I'm there, but she wants to stay here when I'm on the road."

"Oh," Haley said softly.

"Am I overreacting?" he asked, looking over at her. "I mean, is it so bad that I want to make a home with her?"

"No," she said reassuringly, shaking her head. "That's not a bad thing at all."

"I just...I've talked to so many guys who play pro, and they say that the worst part about it is not really having a sense of home, you know? Like they're living in cities they didn't grow up in, in these condos or huge, empty houses or whatever...I just feel like having her there would make it home."

"That makes total sense, Nathan," Haley said softly, smiling at him a little as she spoke.

He didn't know why he felt so comfortable around her, able to tell her things that he hadn't been able to verbalize even to his own fiancé. She was caring and sweet and, for a reason he really couldn't understand, she treated him well, despite her probable better judgement. And the tone of voice she used with him, soft and sweet but still womanly and convincing, made him hang onto her every word.

"You know, sometimes I feel totally trapped in this town," Haley admitted, looking back out over the court. "Like I was meant to do something more."

"But you stay because of Lucas?" he asked.

"I stay because sometimes building a life for yourself is more important than making a name for yourself," she explained with a shrug of her shoulders.

He'd always thought those two things were the same, and he wondered if that was just because of the profession he'd chosen. Then he remembered her brief tour when they were in high school, and realized that maybe she was the perfect person to talk to about things.

"Music, right?" he asked after a moment.

"Yeah," she nodded. "You know, when I was on tour, I was so young, and so...just...scared about everything. You know? Like, how was I ever going to make it? What if I made an album that no one wanted to listen to, and then I had no schooling or anything to fall back on? So I quit."

"Do you regret it?" he asked, shifting his body so he could look at her.

"No," she insisted adamantly. "I regret giving it up completely. Maybe I could have gone back out there after high school or something. But it was the best choice at the time. Sometimes all you can do is make the best choice at any given moment."

"So what choice should I make?" he asked. "What choice is there even _to_ make? Peyton, or basketball?"

"No," Haley said, shaking her head. "Maybe you just need to compromise. I mean, you're pretty lucky that you're playing this close to home. Maybe you need to realize what she's giving up to even be here. How many women do you know who would follow their star ball player boyfriend around and stick by him through all the crap you've put that girl through."

"I have put her through a lot of crap," he said with a laugh. "Those days are over, though. Mostly."

"Mostly?" she laughed, making him flash her a genuine smile. "I can't tell you what to do, but you should know that you've got a pretty strong woman by your side."

"Part time," he muttered bitterly, making her let out a chuckle. "What would you do? If you were her, I mean."

"Nathan, it doesn't matter what I think," she said. "I'm not Peyton."

For some reason, it absolutely _did_ matter to him what she thought. Two brief conversations and she was already his number one confidante, aside from his fiancé.

"No, I know you're not. I'm just curious," he said with a shrug. "I just want your opinion."

"If I were her?" she asked, watching as he nodded. "Isn't it pretty obvious that I'd stay wherever my guy was?"

He let out a laugh, and then a sigh, and then they both looked out over the blacktop for a few moments, just sitting in silence.

"Thanks, Haley," he said after a while, turning to look at her. She gave him one of those perfect smiles, and nodded her head, and then they went back to the silence.

And somewhere amid those quiet moments shared at a sacred place for her, Haley realized that Nathan Scott was definitely not the man she thought he was.


	3. Chapter 3

Two days later, Lucas was in the gym again, this time for the first game of the season, and also Nathan's jersey retirement ceremony.

He wasn't sure which of those two events he was more anxious about.

He looked up at the wall where the jersey, sealed beneath glass, was covered by a royal blue sheet, and he was just a little bit jealous that he didn't get that. He didn't get to be the star player, or date the cheerleader, or play college ball or get drafted into the NBA.

"Well Coach, ready for the first game of the season?" Haley's voice rang out.

"Not even a little bit," he admitted with a laugh, resting his hands on her hips when she came to stand in front of him.

"You'll be great," she assured him. "You ready to see him?"

"Who? Nathan, or Dan?" he asked spitefully.

"Both," she said quietly.

"I'll be fine," he insisted. "Nothing I haven't dealt with before, right?"

"You'll be _great_," she repeated with a smile, hoping to convince him. "I'm gonna go home and change, but I'll be here before tip off."

She leaned in to kiss him, then winked before walking away. He watched her leave, wondering how he landed such a supportive girlfriend; how he'd really fallen in love with his best friend. He was a lucky man, he knew. But he still felt like something was missing, and it was killing him to think that the life he wanted so badly to believe was perfect, really wasn't enough.

"Coach, you got a minute?" a deep voice called out from behind him.

Lucas spun around to see a very nervous looking Nathan Scott. He knew the man wasn't nervous about his jersey being retired. He was nervous about this conversation.

"Sure," Lucas said as nonchalantly as he could.

"I just wanted to say...I mean...Thanks. You know? For being so cool about all this," Nathan stuttered, picking up a ball and spinning it in his hands in an attempt to hide his nerves.

"It's nothing," Lucas said with a shrug of his shoulders as one of his hands was tucked into his pocket. "You deserve it."

"Thanks, man," Nathan said softly. "So, you gonna win tonight?"

He sent the ball in the air from where he was standing at half court and watched as it dropped through the net, smiling in accomplishment like a young boy would.

"We'll see. I could use a guy like you on this team," Lucas answered honestly. "My point guard is weak, and the rest of the team thinks they're the next Lebron. And they definitely aren't."

"Well, at least if you lose, they might realize they have to work," Nathan said with a laugh. "I mean, not that I hope you lose. I'm just saying..."

"Well, I think having the great Nathan Scott in the house might scare them straight," Lucas said, smiling at the way his team had been buzzing that morning in practice about the presence of the 'star'. They shared a chuckle over that statement.

"I have to get home and change," Nathan announced. "But I'll see you later on."

"Yeah, I'll see you," Lucas mumbled, watching as the brother he never knew retreated out of the gym.

Lucas headed to his office and sat down to watch game tape from Nathan's final season for about the 10th time. As the team's coach, he'd been tabbed to make a speech. Apparently, the athletic department didn't care that Lucas and Nathan were in a precarious situation, to say the least, or that Lucas didn't really know the man and had never played with him. He'd come up with some words, but he thought he'd run the tape one more time, just to get in the right head space.

And what he hated to admit, but had always known, was that Nathan was one of the best basketball players he'd ever seen, even as a lean 18 year old. His movements were fluid, and he was always a step ahead of everyone else. Even before his game had developed completely, it was no secret that he was a special player.

"Jealous?" a voice asked teasingly.

She was leaning against his door frame with her arms crossed, smiling genuinely. Then he noticed her attire. A tight black knee-length skirt and a blue satin top were just perfect on her. For the first time in a long time, he had to remind himself that he had a girlfriend to make himself quit staring at a beautiful woman.

"Maybe a little," he admitted. He wasn't talking about Nathan's basketball talent, but something else he was envious of his brother having. But he didn't want to admit that, not even to himself.

"You ready for this?" she asked seriously, taking a step further into his office.

"I don't really have a choice, do I?" he said with a smirk. "Um...Nathan actually stopped by and we talked."

"Yeah, I kind of suggested he do that," she said quietly, wincing as she waited for his reaction.

"You did?" he asked in surprise. "Why?"

"Figured it was at least 10 years overdue," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Well...Thanks, I guess," he said timidly.

His desk phone rang, and he checked the time, wondering who would be calling him on a game day an hour before tip off. He held up his index finger to Peyton and smiled apologetically.

"Coach Scott," he answered, rolling his eyes when Peyton laughed. "Yeah. 7:00...Oh. Oh, that's not going to work, is it?...No, I'll figure something out...It's OK. I'm sure I can find a replacement...Don't worry about it...Sure thing...Alright, bye."

He hung up the phone and rubbed his temple.

"What's wrong?" Peyton asked curiously.

"I have to call Haley," he sighed. "Our anthem singer is stuck in Raleigh."

"OK? What does that have to do with Haley?" Peyton asked.

"She's got stage fright, and she hates last minute things, but I have to ask her if she can fill in," he explained, groaning when he realized it would take a lot of convincing to get his girlfriend to perform. "I'm sorry, would you excuse me?"

"Yeah!" she said hurriedly. "No problem. I'll see you out there, OK? And if worse comes to worse, you can always do the old 'crowd participation' anthem."

"It might just come to that," he laughed. "I'll see you."

He watched as she walked out of his office, her legs pulling his attention, as they always used to do, and then he dialed Haley and hoped for the best.

----

45 minutes later, the gym was packed with sportscasters and photographers and a lot of what looked like NBA executives in expensive suits. Haley was waiting in the hallway, pacing and wringing her hands, and generally looking terrified.

"I can't do this," she mumbled quietly. "I can't do this. I can't do this!"

"Haley?" Nathan asked, coming up behind her.

She jumped when she heard his voice, and he could tell she was clearly paralyzed by nerves. Her hand came to rest on her chest and she closed her eyes tightly and leaned her back against the wall.

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"I can't do this," she whispered desperately.

"I got that part. What can't you do?" he said with a smirk.

"I have to sing, and there are cameras and people, and Lucas, and I can't do it," she insisted, gesturing wildly with her arms toward the gym doors.

"Haley, take a breath, OK?" he insisted, boldly placing his hands on her shoulders as he stood in front of her. "You can do this. If I remember, your voice is amazing, and you've been on T.V. before. Lucas loves you, right? So you don't have to worry about him. You can do it."

"I get stage fright," she insisted, her breathing slowly returning to normal. She wasn't sure how the feel of his strong hands on her shoulders was helping so much, but she wasn't about to question it.

"So just pick one person in the room, and sing to them," he said, as though it was the simplest thing in the world.

"One person," she sighed. "One person."

"One person, Hales," he said, smiling down at her. He didn't know where the nickname came from, but he felt it suited her. "OK?"

"OK," she said, nodding.

"I have to get in there," he informed her. "You're going to be great."

Lucas stepped up to the microphone and the house lights in the gym went down. A spotlight came to shine upon him, and he nodded in acknowledgment of the crowd that was watching him. He ignored his father sitting across from him among Nathan's 'guests of honour'. Also there were Peyton, Brooke Davis, and Nathan's mother. He focused on the Peyton briefly, and the audience went quiet as he started to speak.

"I never played with Nathan Scott. I was never that lucky. Some of you here _have_ been that lucky, and some of you may have had the misfortune of playing against him," he said with a smile, listening to the laughter that coursed through the gym. "Nathan Scott was simply the best player to ever wear this uniform, hands down," he insisted, knowing that would get a rise out of Dan.

"He worked hard, and he never quit, and he played the game with integrity. He was respected, and he respected his teammates, from what I hear. Early in his senior year, Nathan broke the record set by his father, and became the Ravens all time leading scorer. But he didn't stop there. He took whatever accolades that gave him, and moved on. Because Nathan Scott knows that the game is not about personal points totals or accomplishments, it's about the team and the things you achieve together.

"When he went on to lead the team to a state championship, he helped a group of boys feel that they could achieve anything. Those boys went on to become the lawyers and doctors and businessmen who sit among you tonight. I'm not saying that one player has the ability to push others to greatness, but I do know that it can't hurt to have a great leader, friend, and supporter. It's that support system that builds a bond, and memories, and confidence in yourself and your teammates.

"He went on to Duke university, amassing a points total so high that most wouldn't believe if I mentioned it. A couple more championships, and he was one of the most highly sought after players in the country, taken 3rd overall in the NBA draft by Carolina's own Bobcats.

"Nathan Scott is going to go on and do amazing things with this game, the game we all love. But he should be proud of himself for leaving such a positive impression on the small town, his friends and teammates, and the countless people who've followed his career this far. I have no doubt that he'll continue to do right by each and every one of you.

"So with no further adieu, Tree Hill High School officially retires the number 23, worn by Nathan Scott."

Lucas stepped back from the microphone and began clapping his hands, with the rest of the crowd joining in and rising to their feet. The jersey was unveiled as Nathan made his way to the centre of the court to join Lucas as he stood there, taking in the moment.

Nathan reached out and shook Lucas' hand, before pulling him into a manly hug, speaking a genuine thank you when they locked eyes. He waved to the crowd once more and stepped up to the microphone.

"Wow," he said, doing his best to keep his emotions in check. He caught sight of Haley, smiling and clapping near the end of the room, and his worry dissipated. "I don't really know what to say. I'm not really great with speeches, so you'd think I would have prepared something before hand," he laughed, making the crowd do the same. "But I do want to thank Coach Lucas Scott for his words.

"I had some great days in this gym while I was playing. My first game, my first double double, my last game in this gym was the one that sent us to state.

"I want to thank all my teammates over the years who helped me become a less selfish player, and person. I'd like to thank Coach Whitey Durham," he said, gesturing towards the older man as he sat on the bleachers. "I'd like to thank my family and friends. And everyone in this town who's supported me so much over the years. I'm actively doing my best not to let you down."

He stepped back once again, and listened to the applause that rained down upon him, but he only saw Haley. She was walking to the centre of the room, and he pretended, just for a moment for reasons he couldn't even explain, that she was walking towards him. He knew she was just there to perform, but he offered her a smile anyway.

"And now, if you'll please rise and remove your hats for the singing of our national anthem by Tree Hill's own, Haley James," Lucas announced, whispering something in her ear as she stepped up to the microphone.

She took the microphone in her hands and closed her eyes momentarily, heaving a sigh to mentally prepare herself. She opened her eyes to see two men with blue eyes staring back at her, but when Nathan pursed his lips and gave her a discreet nod, she was put at ease immediately.

She began to sing, and she was thinking of only one person. The man of the hour was standing with an almost surprised look on his face as he listened to her sweet voice fill the room. For a moment, she felt it was only the two of them.

He was her one person.

----

"He didn't thank me," Peyton said as she and Brooke stood alone in the bathroom. "I mean, I know it's not about me, but..."

"I thought that was a little weird, too," Brooke said softly.

"I mean, I've been next to him through everything, and...God, I'm selfish," Peyton sighed.

Haley stepped into the bathroom to see Peyton holding back tears and Brooke rubbing her back comfortingly.

"Oh," Haley said quickly. "I'm sorry, I can go..."

"It's OK, Haley," Peyton said with a laugh. "Just a...a proud girlfriend moment."

"OK," Haley laughed.

"This is Brooke..."

"Brooke Davis," Haley said with a smile, extending her hand. "Haley James."

"Nice to meet you," Brooke said sweetly. "You have a beautiful voice."

"Oh, thanks," Haley answered timidly. She turned and began fixing her hair in front of the mirror and touching up her makeup while the other girls talked.

"So, who knew Lucas Scott was so sexy now?" Brooke said, not noticing Peyton's motioning to her to stop. "Seriously, that boy did some _nice_ growing up."

Haley just let out a laugh, and Peyton shot her an apologetic look.

"Actually, Haley is Lucas' girlfriend," Peyton explained.

"Oh wow! I'm sorry!" Brooke said with a laugh. "Actually? I'm not sorry. He's seriously hot, so...congratulations!"

"Um...thanks?" Haley said, smiling, making them all laugh. "Well, I should go. First game of the season and I know he's nervous."

"You should sit with us," Brooke offered as they made their way into the hall.

"Oh, that's OK. You have the whole Scott clan there," Haley said, waving off the invite.

"You mean Dan," Peyton stated. "You can sit far away from him. I know I will."

Haley just nodded in defeat and followed the girls back into the packed gymnasium. She watched as Peyton sat down next to Nathan, and he smiled over at her. Brooke sat between Peyton and Haley, and they all watched the game together, talking and laughing, with Nathan and Haley making fun of Brooke and Peyton for the cheers they were shouting.

The Ravens won the game handily, and Nathan slipped into the boys' locker room to congratulate them and sign a few things for the players, while Lucas looked on in appreciation of Nathan's attention to his team.

Lucas left shortly after the game, and headed to the River Court to clear his head. It had been a big night and he still wasn't really sure what to think of any of it. He and Nathan had had their first real conversation in years. They'd hugged, even. And he'd spoken words that were true, in praise of the brother he never knew. He didn't know what any of it meant.

He'd dropped his suit jacket on the bleachers, and loosened his tie and rolled up his sleeves, and was leisurely shooting around. He was in the zone, like he always was when he played ball, and he didn't see Peyton driving towards the court until she was parked.

"Nice game, Scott," she said with a smile.

He just laughed and shook his head, and made another shot as she went to sit on the bleachers.

"What about you, proud girlfriend?" he teased, taking a seat next to her.

"You want to remind him of that?" she asked under her breath.

"What?" he asked, furrowing his brow as he spun the ball in his hands.

"Nothing. It's nothing," she insisted, shaking her head.

"Peyton," he admonished. He wondered how he could read her so well; if that was some strange connection they shared, or if he was just a good judge of moods and situations.

"I just kind of thought he'd thank his girlfriend of 6 years, that's all," she admitted quietly.

"He was nervous," Lucas said with a shrug, trying to downplay the oversight.

"You're defending him now?" she asked bitterly.

"Whoa. No, I'm just playing devil's advocate," he said, holding up his hands in defeat. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," she insisted. "But...camp starts next week, and I have to leave Tree Hill."

"Is that it?" he asked gently. He got the sense that there was more to the story that she wasn't telling him.

"I just...we've kind of been drifting apart lately, and I don't know if I should be worried or not," she said quietly, looking over at Lucas.

She wasn't sure what it was about him, but she wanted to tell him all her secrets.

"I can't really comment," he said with a shrug. "I just know that when guys have things to talk about, we tend to pull away instead of just talking."

"Yeah, why is that?" she asked, a hint of a smile on her lips.

"Hey, I didn't say it was smart," he laughed, making her do the same. "Just talk to him, Peyton."

She stared at him for a moment, wondering how he could be so subjective about Nathan. He certainly had every reason to judge the man, but he wasn't. She wondered if maybe Lucas Scott was just different. From everyone.

"This is weird, right?" she asked. "I mean, you and me. This...friendship or whatever."

"It's pretty weird," he said, nodding in agreement. "I mean, you're the sexy cheerleader and I'm the nerdy bookworm."

"You think I'm sexy?" she asked with a cheeky grin, watching as he closed his eyes and winced. She could see the blush on his cheeks even through the darkness.

"You know you're gorgeous," he said, looking straight into those amazing eyes of hers.

She thought back on Brooke's observation from earlier in the evening, and it was all true. Lucas Scott was a beautiful man. Icy eyes that seemed to see too much, nice hair, amazing body, and, though perhaps she shouldn't have noticed, perfect lips.

"Thank you," she said softly. Her voice came out more strained than she'd intended, but his statement made her feel like a teenager again.

He smiled at her and watched as she tucked a curl behind her ear, and then he stared back out over the court, just taking in that moment and wondering when they'd get another one like it.

----

Haley was standing in the middle of the empty gym, staring at nothing. Nathan had stuck around shaking hands and talking with anyone who wanted to speak to him, and was cutting through the gym on his way back to his car. She spun around to face him when she heard his footsteps. She hadn't thought there was anyone left in the building.

"Hey," she said timidly. "Congratulations."

"Thanks," he mumbled. "Told you you could to it."

She felt her cheeks going red, and judging by the look on his face, he noticed it quickly.

"I should probably thank you for talking me down off the ledge," she said with a smile.

"No need," he insisted. "You really do have an amazing voice, Haley. You have a gift."

"OK, stop," she demanded.

"What?" he asked, completely confused.

"The whole 'Nathan Scott Schmoozing' thing you're doing," she said, pointing to him and raising her eyebrow.

"Actually, that was the 'Nathan Scott Honesty' thing," he pointed out with a laugh. "I was just telling you that you did a great job."

"You really don't need to do this," she said, shaking her head.

"Can you just say thank you? Because I'm just going to keep complimenting you until you do," he said with a smirk.

She sighed and rolled her eyes, and looked back at him. He raised an eyebrow expectantly and she had to smile.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"Come on, let me walk you to your car," he said, resting his hand on the small of her back as they started to walk. He removed it quickly after realizing what he'd done. She coyly tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and looked to the ground, pretending his gesture didn't feel like the most normal thing in the world.

"OK, this is weird," she said abruptly once they were outside.

"I know," he agreed. "Don't you have a boyfriend for this sort of thing?"

"Not that," she amended. "This. You and me."

"It's not that weird," he said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"You're Nathan Scott. I'm no one. I'm dating your estranged brother, and you and I had never actually even spoken until like, a month ago," she pointed out.

"Well, first of all, you're not no one," he said seriously.

She let out a sigh and rolled her eyes, but actually, she thought that might have been the sweetest thing she'd heard him say.

"But, when you put it like that," he conceded with a laugh, watching as she fished her keys out of her purse. "I find you refreshing, Haley James."

"Refreshing?" she asked skeptically.

"Yeah. You don't judge me, and you don't care about my history. Well, if you do, you don't let on," he explained. "And you're funny and sweet and...insightful."

"More 'Nathan Scott Honesty'?" she asked with a grin.

"Definitely," he laughed. "So listen, why don't you give me your phone number?"

"Excuse me?" she choked out with a laugh.

"We're friends, right?" he asked. "I mean, when I'm in town you and I can meet up for coffee and talk or something."

"If you're screwing with me, I'll seriously never talk to you again," she warned sternly.

"Not screwing with you," he promised, trying not to laugh. "OK, I'll tell you what. I'll give you my number, and then if you never want to talk to me again, you don't have to."

She mulled it over for a second before pulling his phone from his hands and entering her number.

"What's yours?" she asked quickly. He took her phone from her and entered his number, saving the entry as '_23_'. She looked at it and kinked her brow. "Cute."

"I thought so," he said proudly. "Get out of here."

"Alright," she said with a smile, unlocking and opening her car door. "Nathan, you should be really proud of yourself, you know?"

"Thanks, Haley," he nodded. "So should you."

He watched as she got in and turned the key, driving away and leaving him standing in an empty parking lot, wondering how it could all be so easy with her.


	4. Chapter 4

Three weeks passed, and Lucas hadn't heard from Peyton. He wasn't surprised, he was just disappointed for some reason. They'd exchanged numbers, promising to be in touch if one visited the others' town of residence. He didn't want to admit that he missed her, but he did. They'd only had a few encounters, but he found her intriguing and interesting and just different. The guilt over wanting so badly to see another woman was eating him alive.

They were sitting in the café on a Sunday morning, just Lucas and Haley while Karen served her customers. He was reading the business section, and Haley was reading the arts section of the Sunday paper, and the sound of Haley's phone ringing made them both lower their pages.

She saw that number flash across the screen and did her best to be nonchalant.

"Who is it?" Lucas asked curiously.

"Sorry. I'll be right back," she said with a smile, avoiding his question.

She slipped out the back exit and took a seat on the steps outside the door. The entire walk away from Lucas had her staring at the number _23_ as it flashed on her phone, and trying to ignore the shaking in her hands and that rush she'd gotten when she got the call. A deep breath to prepare herself, and she flipped open her phone.

"Hi," she said softly. She hadn't heard from him since that night at the school, so she hadn't really expected him to call her at all.

"Hey," he said dejectedly. "How are you?"

"I'm good," she insisted. "Why do I get the feeling you aren't?"

"Because you're kind of a genius?" he offered teasingly. "Look, I'm in Tree Hill for the day. Can we get together and talk?"

"What about Peyton?" she inquired, unable to hide the worry in her tone.

"What about her?" he asked. She could almost picture him shrugging his shoulders. "She's in Tree Hill, too. But I think she was doing something with her dad, or...whatever."

"Oh. OK. Well, I'm just finishing up with Lucas, so..."

"Too much information," he interrupted, knowing she'd be able to hear him smirking.

"What? Oh! No! You perv," she cried. "Breakfast. We're finishing breakfast."

"Why don't you meet me at the beach at like, 11:00?" he suggested. "Right over that bank of rocks at the north end. You know the place?"

"Yeah," she said absently, inwardly wondering what the hell she was doing. "I'll see you soon."

She walked back into the café after hanging up, and smiled sweetly at Lucas as she sat back down.

"So listen, I have someplace to be at 11:00," she said, glancing at the clock to see that it was already 10:15.

"Oh, alright," he said, nodding before going back to his paper.

She didn't lie or mislead him, or stretch the truth in any way. And yet she still felt completely horrible. Part of her wondered why he hadn't asked where she was going, but she realized it was just because he trusted her. That knowledge didn't help her in the least.

----

After Haley left, Lucas decided he'd stop in at the local record shop to buy a couple new releases he'd been waiting for. It was a beautiful fall day, and he was actually thankful that he could just stroll at a leisurely pace, quiet and not worrying about holding up his end of a conversation.

As soon as he'd stepped inside the store, he noticed that girl with the blonde curls sifting through a bin that he recognized was angsty rock.

"Well, well," he called as confidently as he could given the butterflies he was feeling at just the sight of her. "Look who returns to Tree Hill and _doesn't_ call like she said she would."

She turned to look at him and rolled her eyes in dramatic fashion.

"Hurt your feelings, Scott?" she teased, plucking a record from the bin.

"Absolutely," he said, smiling as he pointed towards the particularly angry album she was holding. "That bad, huh?"

"Had a fight," she informed him with a shrug. "Nice two hour car ride in complete, tense silence."

"Sounds like a blast," he said sarcastically.

"It can be," she said with a devilish smirk. "He really, really hates it when I play with the radio, so I made sure to do that pretty much the entire time. I was kind of just trying to get him to talk first."

"And?" he asked as he laughed.

"Nothing. He's really pissed," she admitted, hoping to hide how much that actually hurt her.

"You want to talk about it?"

"I already am," she pointed out with a raised brow, making him roll his eyes.

"I mean somewhere other than a record store," he specified.

She just nodded and they made small talk as they made their respective purchases, with Max smiling knowingly at Peyton as she followed Lucas out of the store. She could only shake her head. He'd once, years ago, told her that the 'squinty blonde kid' was her type, based on his taste in music.

She had thought about him often since their last meeting, that night on the River Court. Nathan called her sexy all the time, but somehow the way Lucas had said it had stayed with her. Like he believed it and just wanted her to know. He wasn't just saying it out of obligation or to get something he wanted - not that she believed those were the only reasons Nathan ever said it, either. Still, she wasn't sure when the last time was that she'd heard something that honest. She thought maybe that it was conceited of her to replay that moment in her mind so many times, but she couldn't stop herself.

They started towards a small park just on the edge of town, but the walk was silent. He wasn't sure if it was the most comfortable, or uncomfortable silence he'd ever experienced.

"So you don't have to tell me if you don't want to," he said, as they found a bench and sat down. "But you know...I'm here."

"You're here?" she asked with a smirk.

"Yeah," he nodded, noticing the double meaning, as he suspected she had. "I'm here."

"Our fights are usually so pointless," she said after a few moments. "I mean, we are both such emotional cripples that we ignore the big things and explode over the little things."

"Emotional cripples, huh?" he asked with a slight laugh. She just looked at him and rolled her eyes playfully. "So what's different this time?"

"I'm just so sick of the lifestyle," she sighed. "I know it sounds dumb because it's only been three weeks and he's been home for most of that. But I've spent so many years in gyms and on buses, or in an empty house while he's on the road. And I really thought...I don't know what I thought."

"You thought that when he turned pro, it would be easier?" he ventured.

"Yeah," she said, turning to look at him, surprised that he understood. "I felt like maybe his happiness would make it OK."

"Peyton, you can't mistake his happiness for your own, now matter how much you might love him," he explained gently. He wasn't sure what made him add the word 'might', but maybe it was wishful thinking.

And that statement hit her like a ton of bricks. All along, since she was 17, she'd been told and convinced herself that seeing him happy would make her happy. And it did, of course, to an extent. But somewhere along the way, she realized that it wasn't enough just to be Nathan Scott's girlfriend. She wanted the best for him, and she wanted to support him, but she needed something more. She needed something for herself.

"You know what I admire most about Nathan?" he asked after a moment. "He's not afraid to fail."

"Yes, he is," she countered.

"No," he said quickly, shaking his head. "He's not. He doesn't give himself license to _not_ be the best. He has no problem telling the world what he wants. He commits to it and goes for it."

"Well, what do you want?" she asked, turning to face him and tucking her leg beneath her.

He heaved a sigh and looked to his hands, debating whether or not he really wanted to tell her. But then, he thought, she'd already told him so much in the few conversations they'd had. Maybe it was his turn to open up.

"I've had a novel written for a year and a half. Finished, completed, sitting in a file on my computer," he admitted. He noticed the surprise on her face. "But I am absolutely terrified that it won't be good enough. I haven't told anyone about it. Not my mom, or Haley."

"Wow," she whispered. She wasn't sure if that 'wow' was over the fact that he'd completed an entire novel, or that she was the first person he was telling about it.

"Yeah."

"You need to send it to publishers, Luke," she insisted. "You owe that to yourself, to your art."

"It's not art," he scoffed. "It's just words."

"I don't believe that for a second," she said adamantly, shaking her head. "I bet it's amazing and you're just being too hard on yourself."

"It doesn't matter, because no one's seen it," he said, laughing self-deprecatingly.

"It does matter," she said softly. "It does."

"What about you?" he asked, knowing they'd both remember the first time he asked that question during their first meeting.

"You know, I did a double major at Duke?" she informed him, watching as his eyebrows shot skyward in surprise. "Business and Art History."

"That's an interesting combination," he said with a smirk.

"That's what the dean said, too," she laughed. "I could just always see myself with a gallery, or a club, or...I dunno. I wrote up this insane business plan that was a combination of both. Like, a live music venue by night, and a gallery by day."

"That's...ambitious," he said, chuckling.

"My professors loved it," she admitted. "But it was always basketball first, my career second."

"Was that your choice, or his?" Lucas asked quietly, hoping he wasn't crossing a line.

"At first it was mine," she confirmed. "Then we both just stopped questioning it."

"And now?" He turned his head to look at her just in time to see her shrug.

"Now it causes arguments and hours of the silent treatment," she said, only half joking.

He let out a laugh because he didn't know what else to do, and then there were no more questions asked. No more jokes. No more wondering what was going to happen next.

----

Haley noticed Nathan sitting on the beach as she approached the spot he'd requested she meet him at. She found herself getting lost in the image of him, sitting with legs stretched out in front of him, leaning back with elbows supporting him, alone and staring out at the water.

She approached him slowly, dropping her purse on the sand before sitting down herself, and ignored the feeling she got when he smiled at her.

"Thanks for coming," he said sincerely.

"No problem," she shrugged. "Thanks for calling."

"Breakfast that unbearable?" he teased, then noted the less-than-impressed look on her face. "Sorry. I didn't mean anything by it."

"I'll let it slide. Just don't take your frustrations out on me. Or Luke," she warned with a sweet smile.

"I promise," he insisted softly, looking straight into her eyes.

"So what's going on?" she asked.

"What? I couldn't just want to see you?" he teased, though a part of him knew it was the truth.

Ever since he'd met her - well, re-met her - Haley had been kind and supportive, though they'd only spoken a few times. After he'd left Tree Hill, be found himself thinking of her often, though he knew it was probably wrong and a little pointless. He wondered if her amazing smile had the effect on anyone else that it had on him. Or if those brown eyes were as intriguing to others.

"You could, I suppose. But I can tell there's something wrong," she said with a smirk.

"Peyton and I got into it again," he admitted quietly. "I feel like she really doesn't want to be with me anymore. I mean, she keeps saying she does, but sometimes it feels like she's pulling away, and I don't know if I'm the problem, or if she is. I mean, not that I think of her as a problem, I just..."

"Nathan," Haley interrupted. "I get what you're saying."

"She said she feels like I'm holding her back," he said, still in shock at Peyton's words from the night before.

"Are you?" Haley asked gently, looking anywhere but his eyes.

"Please. Peyton does whatever she wants," he scoffed.

"Does she?"

He looked over at her then, and saw that she had her eyebrow kinked, indicating that he might want to mull that over. He noticed then, that her lips were the perfect shade of pink. He assumed that she had on some sort of a gloss or something, but it didn't matter. He found himself wondering how she tasted and if her lips felt as soft as they looked. She looked back at the ocean again and he went back to thinking about his girlfriend and the problems they were having.

"Have you ever told Luke that you don't want to live here?" he asked after a moment, making her turn her head back to him quickly.

"I never said I don't want to live here," she insisted. "I just..."

"Haley," he admonished. "You don't have to hide from me."

But she did. Didn't she? He was someone else's boyfriend. Fiancée. And she was someone else's girlfriend. She shouldn't have been telling him secrets. She should have been uncomfortable. She should have hated him and his family for their treatment of her boyfriend. But she did tell him secrets and she was comfortable and she didn't hate him. And she couldn't hide from him. She suspected that even if she hadn't come to that realization, it still would have been true.

"It's not that I don't want to live here. I love this town, and my job. Sometimes I just think about all the what ifs," she said with a shrug.

"Like what if that Chris Keller guy hadn't been caught with one of the members of that slutty girl group while you two were supposed to be together?" he asked with a raised brow.

"What!?" she asked with shock on her face. "How did you...?"

"Google," he admitted, making her laugh. "I was curious!"

"Curious about little ol' me?" she said coyly. If she only knew the truth that statement held. "Yeah, there are a few skeletons in the closet that I kind of wish weren't there."

"How'd that all go down anyway?" he asked, turning to look at her.

They both knew he was avoiding talking about his own problems, but they both knew that if he didn't want to talk about it, he wouldn't. She looked at him and sighed, and realized that maybe he just wanted to know more about her, or that maybe her messed up situation would somehow make him feel better.

"I met Chris at an open mic night that Lucas made me go to, and he said he wanted to work with me; help me with my career or whatever," she started. He could almost hear the contempt she felt for the guy. "And he did. I mean, I'd never even been in a studio before. I'd hardly ever sang anyplace other than my bedroom."

"It's a shame," he said seriously. "That you don't sing more, I mean. But...sorry. Continue with the story."

"Thanks," she said timidly, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, something he noticed she did when she was nervous. "Eventually his contacts heard our demo and that's when the tour came up. And it was amazing, Nathan. I felt..."

"Alive?" he offered, looking at her as her face lit up when she spoke of her passion.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Like, every time I stepped onto that stage and sang those songs, I felt totally untouchable."

"That's how I feel when I step onto the court."

"It's amazing right?" she asked, smiling widely and making him do the same. "I guess we were about two months in to the tour, and things with Chris and I were...tense. I mean, we were together pretty much all day every day, and confined to such a small space on the bus."

"I know how that feels," he said with a laugh, referring to his long road trips with teammates.

"It was almost like he wanted to get caught. He had this girl on the bus directly after a show, and I was...Let's just say, I gave Chris a lot of my firsts, and he successfully threw it all back in my face," she admitted sadly.

"You loved him," Nathan stated, waiting for her confirmation, though he didn't really need it.

"I did," she said softly. "And it's really, really hard to keep going when you realize that the person you thought would never hurt you, destroys your heart."

"I'm sorry. That you had to go through that, I mean," Nathan said sincerely. "Men are dicks."

She laughed at the statement they both knew was true, and then shivered when a breeze passed them.

"Here," he said, pulling off his sweater and draping it over her shoulders.

"Thanks," she said quietly, smiling up at him again. "We haven't really talked about you, have we?"

"It's OK," he shrugged. "I kind of just like listening to your voice."

She looked back at the water as she tried to decide just what weight that statement held. It felt intimate and romantic somehow, though she wanted to ignore that. It couldn't be intimate. He was with Peyton. She was with Lucas.

Yet, the scent of his cologne on his sweater was making her heart race, and when he looked at her again and smiled, she realized that she didn't want either of them to walk away just yet.

And so they sat for another couple hours, sometimes talking, but generally just sitting in the silence, each just content in the presence of the other.

----

Nathan strode back to the beach house alone, ready for whatever was about to happen with Peyton. Talking to Haley had given him some perspective, though he suspected she didn't know how much.

Peyton was sitting at the counter in the kitchen, with a cup of tea in front of her as she leafed through a magazine.

"Hey babe," he said with a smile. He knew that being the first to speak was always just a way to signal defeat, but he didn't care. They were both stubborn, and they'd done this little dance before. He knew that they'd both overreacted, but this time, he didn't mind being the one to give in.

"Hi," she replied softly, closing her eyes as he moved in to kiss her temple.

For all the cockiness and confidence Nathan had, she coveted the little touches and nuances the most. Those little kisses, or the way he'd rest his hand on the small of her back in a crowd. She loved the way he'd call her first thing after an away game, win or lose, just to hear her voice, or how he'd make sure to always bring her chocolate from the place she loved in New York every time he was there.

"I'm sorry," he said as he took the seat next to her. "I've been a jerk, and you've been awesome about everything."

"No, I'm sorry," she insisted, shaking her head. "I said some things that were really harsh because I was mad. You're not holding me back."

"Are you sure?" he asked timidly, looking to his hands. "You've given up so much to be with me, and I don't want you to resent me for it."

"I don't resent you, Nathan. I just feel like I need to do something for me, you know?"

"I get that," he nodded. "I want you to be my sexy, successful, amazing wife."

She smiled because that was what she was supposed to do after statements like that, but truth be told, the thought of being a wife - his wife - was terrifying. But she loved him, and he had just said the perfect things that she'd wanted to hear, so she leaned forward and kissed him, and said thank you.

"Can we make up now?" he growled, nipping at her ear as his hand traveled up her thigh.

"Please," she whispered, making him laugh.

----

Lucas had sent Haley a text to let her know that he was going to stop by the River Court for a bit, and that he probably wouldn't be home when she got there. She kind of relished in the silence of their empty house, and thought of Nathan's words and how excited she'd been to really talk about music again. It was different, talking to him. She felt he understood that passion she had like no one else really did.

She sat herself down at the piano in the den and pulled out a few unfinished songs she hadn't given much thought to in months. She started to play and sing, and write notes hastily, scribbling lyrics. She was smiling that smile she always got when she felt like she'd come up with something great.

She had her eyes closed and was belting out the chorus she'd just written, and she didn't hear the door open or Lucas come in. He was leaning against the door frame, smiling at the sight of his beautiful, talented girlfriend, getting lost in what she loved.

She stopped to write something down, and noticed him standing there grinning proudly.

"Hi," she said, almost shyly.

"You sound amazing," he insisted, stepping further into the room. "It's been a long time since I really heard you like this."

"Yeah, I guess I just got some inspiration," she said, almost as though it surprised her.

"I'm glad," he said seriously, nodding his head. "You shouldn't ever stop doing what you love."

She wondered, briefly, how he had just read her mind, knowing that she was worried about that very thing - losing her touch or her feel for the music. She didn't question him about it, and he told her to stay put and do what she wanted for as long as she wanted. He'd just told her everything she needed to hear, and she loved him for that.


	5. Chapter 5

Another month passed, and Haley had to travel to Charlotte for a teachers' conference one weekend. She'd seen Peyton in Tree Hill, though she knew that Nathan was playing a string of home games. She wondered why his fiancé wasn't staying with him while he was 'home', but she only knew their relationship to be volatile at best, so she didn't question it much.

If she was being honest, she was kind of glad that he would potentially to be able to see her. She knew he didn't have a game, though she didn't know what else his schedule held, but she kind of liked the idea of not having to worry about Peyton standing in the way. And it made her stomach tie in knots that she felt that way. She shouldn't have, she was aware.

She sat in her hotel room, with her phone in her hand, and debated calling him. She knew his schedule would be insane, and he probably wouldn't have time to see her or even talk to her. She wasn't sure what their relationship even really was, but he had told her to call him if she ever found herself in Charlotte. As she dialed his number, she hoped that wasn't just a polite sentiment.

"Haley?" he answered.

She just laughed, because it was such a surprised and strange way to answer the phone.

"Hi," she managed. "I um...I'm just in town, so I thought I'd give you a call."

"You're in Charlotte? 'Till when?" he asked. She thought she heard excitement in his voice, but she couldn't be sure.

"End of Monday. Teachers' thing," she explained.

"Well, I have the night off and Peyton's out of town. We should hang out," he said nonchalantly.

"Wow. That sounds..."

"Yeah, I just heard it," he said with a laugh, realizing that his proposition sounded like...well, a proposition.

"Well, I'm not doing anything tonight, and it'd be great to see you," she admitted, though she wasn't sure why or where it came from.

"Yeah. I just have to be kind of careful with the press and stuff," he explained.

"Superstar status already, huh?" she teased.

"I wish," he scoffed.

"Well, I can meet you someplace if you want," she offered, doing her best to sound nonchalant.

"Why don't you come to my place? It's a gated community, but I can let the guard know you're coming," he said casually.

"Um...yeah, OK," she agreed, slightly intimidated by the lifestyle he was living and the hoops she had to jump through to get to him.

He gave her the address and she changed her clothes, slipping into something that she knew looked great on her. She couldn't explain it. She couldn't explain why she was fixing her hair or applying that lip gloss that always made her feel a little bit more sexy. She couldn't explain it, so she didn't bother to try.

----

Peyton had paraded around town for two days without really know what she was doing. Then it dawned on her that she was waiting to bump into Lucas. She'd stopped into the café, though she didn't typically frequent the spot. He hadn't been there, but she'd had a pleasant conversation with his mother. She left that morning, wondering what the hell she was doing. If she wanted to see him, she could go to his house. Or the school. Or the River Court. She didn't know why she was so insistent on making it seem like a coincidence.

And so, there she stood, on the doorstep of his home, ready to ring the doorbell. She lost her nerve momentarily, but forced herself to push the button anyway. She heard the sound of his footsteps as he ran for the door, and when he pulled it open, he was obviously surprised to see her there.

She was surprised that all he had on was a pair of basketball shorts.

"Hi," he said breathlessly, smiling a little as he noticed her attention to his body.

"Hey," she said, as casually as she could.

"Come on in," he offered, gesturing for her to step inside. "My mom said you stopped by the café yesterday."

"Oh. Yeah," she said softly, feeling the blush creep to her cheeks. "Do you own a shirt or something?"

"Thought you liked the view, blondie," he teased. He saw her face go even redder, and it brought out an unexpected rush in him. It had been a long time since he'd really gotten that reaction from a woman.

He reached for the tee shirt he'd discarded as he lifted weights, and pulled the cotton over his head.

"Where's Haley?" Peyton asked as she took a seat on his sofa, waiting for him to join her.

"Charlotte for the weekend," he explained. "How come you're not there. Isn't he home now?"

"Yeah, he is. I'm not, though," she said with a smile, watching as he chuckled. She didn't want to get into the reasons why, so she changed the focus back to him. "How are things?"

"Things are...tense," he answered honestly.

"What? Why?" she asked with a furrowed brow.

She could see that there was something really big bothering him, and it was an interesting switch. She was usually the one with the problem, and he was the one keeping her from going crazy.

"Haley and I have had a few disagreements lately," he said vaguely, looking down at his hands instead of at her.

"Wow," she said softly.

"What?" he asked.

"Just...you have the _good_ relationship. I'm the mess, and you're the one who helps me keep it together," she said with a smile, making him laugh.

"I guess the tables have turned," he said softly.

"So start talking. What's going on?" she asked.

"You know what? I'm good to not talk about it," he said with only a hint of a smile.

"Oh. Of course," she said, shaking her head. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry."

"It's OK," he laughed. "I'm just getting over it."

"Getting over it?" What did that mean, she wondered.

"I'm just starting to wonder what's keeping us together, you know? Like, we're best friends, but what else is there?" he questioned quietly.

"Sometimes I wish Nathan and I were best friends. Well, we are, but it's like...Sometimes we can barely even tolerate each other," she said with a bit of a laugh.

They were silent for a moment, each wondering briefly why they stayed in their respective relationships. Sure, they were comfortable and 'safe', but is that enough? Was it enough that Peyton and Nathan had been together so long and she was a little scared of not being with him? Was it enough that Lucas was afraid that ending things with Haley meant that he'd lose his lifelong best friend in the process?

"You wanna do something?" he asked abruptly, turning to face her. "Watch a movie or...just not talk about heavy issues for once?"

"That actually sounds kind of perfect," she said with a laugh.

He told her to pick a movie, then went in to the kitchen and returned with popcorn and a couple beers. He settled in next to her on the sofa, grabbing a blanket as she turned out the lights and started the movie.

They shared a look in silent recognition of just how comfortable they were in that moment.

----

Haley drove up to Nathan's house after a brief chat with the guard at the gate of his community. To say that his home was impressive would be an understatement. But, by the same token, it suited him. It had a tasteful stone exterior and a beautiful oak door. A three car garage and she could see a basketball court on the edge of the lawn.

She stepped out of her car and made her way to the door, more confidently than she maybe should have. But she was just visiting a friend. She was just stopping in for a chat, catching up, and then she'd be on her way.

"Hey," he said with a smile as he pulled open the door.

"Hey Nathan," she replied as she stepped inside. "It's really too bad you have to live in this slummy neighbourhood."

"I know, right?" he laughed.

"Seriously, I think my Mazda is way out of place here," she said, following him to the living room. She heard him chuckle again as he led her into his living room.

"How are you?" he asked after they were seated.

"I'm um...I'm OK," she said, trying to convince the both of them.

"Don't believe you," he said defiantly, sitting back and crossing his arms.

"What?" she asked, slightly taken aback that he had seen through her that quickly.

"Something's up with you. I expect you to start talking," he said seriously, watching as she sighed and rolled her eyes.

"It's weird that you know me this well already," she pointed out, making him laugh again.

She'd only been there less than 5 minutes, and he already knew there was something wrong, and wanted to help her through it. They shouldn't have been able to fall into conversation so quickly without any awkwardness or small talk to catch up. It was just...comfortable.

"Quit dodging the question," he said with a smile.

"Lucas and I have just been bickering a lot. This trip kind of came at the perfect time," she said with a shrug, trying to downplay the significance of the problem.

"Wow. The relationship guru comes to me for help this time," he teased. "What are you fighting about?"

"We aren't really fighting. It's just...tense. Like every little thing he does drives me crazy," she admitted.

"That's all?" he asked, smiling as she laughed. God, he loved to see her smile like that.

"Can you imagine dating your best friend?" she asked before thinking.

"My best friend is a guy," he said, deadpan, making her laugh again.

Peyton was his best friend, but not in the way that Lucas and Haley were best friends. He can still remember them as kids on the playground, or walking down the halls of their high school, joking with each other and joined at the hip. He and Peyton weren't like that. They never were.

"I just kind of feel like I want that _passion_, you know? Like whatever you and Peyton have that makes you jump down each others' throats sometimes? I want that," she said quickly, gesturing animatedly with her hands.

"It's overrated," he mumbled. He hadn't wanted her to change the subject back to him, and he definitely didn't want to get into why Peyton wasn't in Charlotte when he was.

"I don't think it is," she said, shaking her head. "Wouldn't it be great if you could find someone who could be your best friend, but who could just..._turn_ you _on_?"

His mouth went dry as she said those last words. She had her leg tucked beneath her and she was sitting so comfortably on his sofa. Her hair looked amazing and her lips looked damn near irresistible. He knew - he _knew_ - that if his situation was any different, he'd waste no time leaning forward and pressing his lips to hers.

"Nathan?" she asked, trying to get his attention.

"Yeah," he said quickly. "I mean, yeah, that'd be great."

"So," she said, noticing the far-off look on his face. "Can I get a tour of this palace, or what?"

He could only laugh as he stood and extended his hand to her. They both tried to ignore the feeling they got when their hands touched. She pulled away as gently and normally as she could, and walked in the direction he was pointing her, smiling nervously as she passed him.

----

Three quarters of the way through the movie, Peyton drifted off to sleep, and Lucas covered her over with the blanket right before she tucked into his side and rest her head against him. He looked down at her and smiled. It all seemed so natural to him, to be sitting on the sofa, with her resting against him and sleeping in the darkness. He draped his arm over her and it laid naturally on her upper thigh. He fell asleep soon after.

The credits rolled, and they both stirred awake, and when she realized how they were situated, she smiled sheepishly at him.

"Sorry," she whispered as she wiped her eyes.

"It's OK," he insisted.

She moved away from him and began pulling her hair up, reaching for an elastic from her purse to hold it in place. He flipped on the light and stretched, before his eyes fell on something very noticeable.

"You're not wearing your engagement ring," he said softly.

"No. I'm not."

"Why didn't you say something?" he asked with a furrowed brow. "We could have talked."

"I don't want to talk about it," she insisted quietly. "I just want to not think about it. Or him."

"OK," he said with a gentle nod. He knew how she felt, after all.

They just sat for a moment, only about a foot of space between them. The light was hitting his face perfectly, and she almost wanted to reach out and caress that scruff on his jaw. Nathan was always so clean shaven, and she was intrigued by how Lucas' skin would feel against hers. She subtly bit her lip, a move that didn't go unnoticed by Lucas, and took an audible breath.

Without even really thinking, he leaned forward and kissed her. He wasn't sure what made him do it, not that it really mattered. Just the way she was looking at him, he could tell she had wanted it as badly as he did. It was just the two of them, and nothing else made any sense.

His tongue skimmed across the seam of her lips as her hand came up to rest on his cheek. It was rough and rugged, just as she'd expected. It was new and exciting, and dammit, Lucas was a _good_ kisser.

Their tongues met and their breathing sped up, and when they parted for air, he pulled her onto his lap so she was straddling him, and then his hands found her cheeks and he kissed her again. He wasn't sure any kiss had ever made him feel that incredible.

Peyton began placing kisses to his neck, and just before she found that one spot that made him lose all control, he came to his senses. He was kissing another woman while his girlfriend was away.

"Stop," he said, pushing her away gently. "I can't do this."

"Oh, I think you can," she growled, moving her hand to the front of his jeans to prove her point.

"No," he insisted softly, doing his best to stifle a groan. "I can't do this to Haley."

"You're thinking about Haley right now?" she asked, pulling away from him.

"Peyton, she's my girlfriend. I'm not this guy," he said, looking into her eyes, and hoping she'd understand what he was saying.

She was quiet for a moment, just looking into those icy blue eyes that she could see were filled with remorse and want and lust, and need, if she was seeing him correctly - and she was pretty sure she was. She wasn't sure if that remorse was for starting their actions, or for stopping them.

"I'm so sorry," she said repeatedly, moving off him to stand and pace the room with her head in her hands.

She and Nathan hadn't broken up, they'd just had a fight and she'd taken off the ring to piss him off. It was a low blow and she knew it as soon as she placed that diamond in his palm and saw the hurt on his face. She'd told him she was going to the beach house, and said she didn't know when she'd be back.

But she was still his fiancé, and she still loved him, and truthfully, she missed wearing that ring and being reminded of him when she caught sight of it.

"I'm sorry," she said, on another pass in front of him.

"Don't be sorry," he insisted, shaking his head before taking on a teasing tone. "Just stop wearing a path in my rug."

"I'm sorry!" she cried, sitting down on the table across from him.

"Peyton," he said with only a hint of a smile. "Go home."

"Luke..."

"Go home, Peyton," he repeated, standing and pulling her up from her spot by the hand.

He walked her to the door and as soon as she was on the porch, she turned to look at him. She didn't say a word. She just closed her eyes and smiled weakly, and then walked away.

He was left wondering whether he'd just made the best, or the worst, decision of his entire life.

----

"Oh wow, is that a Steinway?" Haley asked, stepping into the room that held the beautiful black piano.

"Maybe?" he laughed. "It came with the house. This is kind of just an extra room."

The room was indeed fairly empty, with just the piano and a couple chairs scattered around. The paint on the walls was a clean, stark white, and the moonlight shone through the large windows that had been left uncovered.

"You mind?" she asked, moving to sit on the bench.

"Be my guest," he said with a smile, leaning his elbows on the instrument as he watched her.

She began playing a sweet melody, and he watched her drift off into her own little world. He knew that look on her face; he'd seen it on many athletes over the years. Complete contentment, mixed in with absolute love for the task at hand. When he heard her begin to sing softly, he knew that she'd completely forgotten that there was another person in the room.

"Oh!" she said after a few moments. "I'm sorry. I just...got lost for a minute."

"It's OK. I told you, I love to hear you sing," he said with a smile.

He boldly moved to sit on the bench next to her, positioning himself with his back to the keys. He gazed at her for another moment as her hands continued to play the music that was filling the room.

"You're beautiful." His tone was soft, but insistent, and she just shook her head.

She didn't know if she was avoiding his statement because he shouldn't have made it, or because she shouldn't have gotten butterflies in her stomach.

"Nathan..."

"No, Haley. You're gorgeous," he insisted softly. "And for some reason I think you don't really believe that."

She wanted to argue with him, but she looked into those blue eyes and got lost for a completely different reason. She stopped playing and smiled nervously at him, and all she wanted was to reach out and touch one of those smooth cheeks. Lucas' face was always so rough, and all she wanted was to feel Nathan's cheek against her palm.

So when Nathan leaned over and pressed his lips to hers, she didn't protest like she knew she should have. Her hand fell to his thigh, far too high, she realized, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was that his kiss was firm and perfect and somehow everything Lucas' wasn't. His tongue slipped between her lips in an insistent, but perfect way, and nothing else existed but the two of them. She moved her body closer to his, and his hand found her stomach, pushing up the material of her shirt ever-so-slightly.

"Nathan," she said, pulling away. "I can't."

"You are," he said, smirking against her neck as he kissed her.

"No," she whispered. "I'm still with Lucas."

The mention of the other man's name is enough to sober him and stop his actions completely. He'd been too forward, he worried, forced himself on her, though she really did nothing to stop him. He should have been more sensitive and more cognizant to her situation.

But he had a situation, too. He had a diamond ring sitting on top of his dresser - the dresser he shared with his fiancé - waiting for her to return home. And he knew she would come back and slip that ring on her finger. He wanted her to, and yet he was kissing another woman in their home.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, shaking his head remorsefully.

"Nathan, don't be," she said softly.

"I shouldn't have...I'm sorry. It's just..._you_," he stuttered.

He didn't elaborate, and she didn't need him to. Their eyes locked and they both understood exactly what that statement meant. She felt the same thing. Never would she have seen herself as the kind of woman who would kiss a man who wasn't her boyfriend, but Nathan had this intangible pull that was making her lose all rational thought.

"I should go," she said with a sad smile.

"Yeah. OK," he nodded.

They stood and she walked to the door. They shared an awkward look and a quiet goodbye, and he watched her drive away.

He was left wondering how he could still feel her kiss on his lips, and maybe more importantly, why he wanted to kiss her again.

----

Peyton spent all day Sunday alone in the beach house, thinking of Nathan and Lucas and how she'd gotten so carried away and sucked into such a strange triangle. Or rectangle. She was going to call Nathan, but she knew he had a game that night, and so she made the decision that she was going to just be his fiancé. All the garbage, she was going to set aside. She'd been confused and upset after their fight, but she still loved him more than anything.

So she got into her car and made the drive back to Charlotte. She had no intention of returning to Tree Hill any time soon. She was going to be with Nathan in whatever ways that meant.

She pulled up to the house and into the garage, noticing his car was there, and that he was probably napping before the game that night. She entered the house and vowed to make it their home, before she headed up the stairs to their bedroom.

He was laying on the bed on his side, propped up on his elbow as he studied his playbook.

"Hi," he said in surprise when he saw her standing at the door.

"Hi," she echoed. She moved to the bed and crawled so she was laying next to him. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too," he admitted with a smile.

And he had. If anything, his encounter with Haley had just made him realize that he needed to make things work with Peyton. Sure, he and Haley had a strange connection, but he didn't know how much that counted for. And Peyton was the woman he'd been building his life with since he was 16. She'd been by his side through everything, and he wasn't going to just throw that away. He couldn't do that to her, or himself. He needed her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I'm sorry."

"I don't want to fight, Nathan. I just...I want us to be happy together," she said quickly.

"I want that, too," he insisted as he smiled, reaching out to place his hand on her hip.

"Can I wear my ring again?"

"You don't have to ask," he laughed.

He stood up and walked to the dresser, reaching for the emerald cut solitaire diamond that had been securely on her finger for the entire eight months prior. He walked back to the bed and settled himself on top of her as he reached for her left hand, slipping the ring back onto her finger before kissing her knuckles, just like he had done the first time he put the ring on her finger.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too," she said with a smile, right before he kissed her.

The kiss quickly became heated, and his hands roamed her body as she locked her legs around his back, pressing him into her. He caressed her thigh, just like he always had, and she let out a moan that he knew was one of protest, so he pulled away.

"No sex on game day," she muttered, slightly disappointedly.

"I hate basketball," he groaned, making them both laugh.

"Baby, that's your rule, not mine," she pointed out, making him chuckle. "Get off me. Take your nap and I'll make dinner."

He made a noise in protest again, not so fond of being left so frustrated, and rolled off her after kissing her quickly one last time. She got up and straightened out her top, taking one last look at him as he made himself comfortable alone in their bed.

"You better be waiting for me in this bed when I get home from the game tonight!" he called as she walked out of the room.

She walked back down the stairs with a smile on her face, knowing that she and Nathan would be fine. They'd be happy together. She'd be happy.

----

Haley made the decision as soon as she'd left Charlotte, that she would avoid Nathan at all costs. It wasn't worth it. She wanted the life she was making with Lucas, and Nathan made her question everything. She chalked it up to nothing more than a physical attraction, and told herself that wasn't enough to throw away everything over.

She stepped into the home she'd shared with Lucas for close to a year, and she saw him stand from the sofa, smiling as he walked towards her. He took her bags from her and dropped them on the floor near the stairs before resting his hands on her hips and pulling her against him quickly. She let out a breath and looked at him in surprise right before he dipped down to kiss her.

She got caught up in him and his touch and his kiss, and when his hand moved to the front of her jeans and she realized they hadn't yet said a word to each other, she wondered if maybe this was exactly the passion she'd been searching for.


	6. Chapter 6

It was another three months before Lucas _really_ allowed himself to think about Peyton. Things with Haley were better, but still not perfect, and he'd started to believe that's just the way it would be. He'd decided that would be alright with him. He really did love her, and she loved him, and neither of them wanted to let that go.

Lucas was in Charlotte, secretly meeting with book publishers during a brief week long break in his basketball season. Haley had gone to L.A. to visit her sister and some friends from Stanford, and had taken a few days off from work, so Lucas had taken that opportunity to take a meeting with an editor who had shown interest in his novel. Maybe he should have felt guilty for not telling his girlfriend where he was going, but he really didn't, and he wasn't sure exactly what that meant.

Peyton's words from so many months ago had inspired him to send his manuscript to a few mostly local, smaller publishing houses, and he was surprised when he got a couple calls in response. He figured he owed it to himself to at least take a couple meetings. But really? He felt like he owed it to Peyton.

He was just stepping out of the building when he saw her across the street, bundled up in a green scarf and a wool jacket, with her phone in her hand and a shopping bag slung over her arm. He smiled when he noticed her, and thought for a moment of pretending he hadn't, but he just couldn't stay away. He crossed the street as calmly as he could, and she just shook her head and smiled when she noticed him.

"Mr. Scott," she said coyly.

"Miss Sawyer," he said with a smirk. "How are you?"

"Freezing," she admitted. "How are you? God, how long has it been?"

She asked the question, but she knew the answer. She'd spent months avoiding all thoughts and reminders of that blonde man. And yet, she was living with a constant reminder; a man with the same last name and blue eyes that were so different from the ones she'd gazed into three months earlier.

"Too long," he answered honestly. The statement was quiet, but insistent, and she felt exactly the same way.

"What brings you to Charlotte?" she asked after a moment had passed.

"I just had a couple meetings," he said with a shrug. The way he saw her cock her eyebrow let him know that she was well aware that there was something he wasn't telling her, but she didn't ask, and he didn't offer up the information.

"Well, um...you want to grab lunch or something?" she asked with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Sure," he answered.

"Come on," she said as she started walking. "My favourite restaurant is just around the corner."

They were completely silent until they were seated at the restaurant with their menus in their hands. Neither had any clue what to say to the other. They hadn't so much as spoken a word since the night they kissed and almost took things too far.

The restaurant wasn't what he had expected it to be. He'd expected a fancy steak house or a sushi place. But this place was nothing more than an upscale diner. He loved it.

"So how have you been?" he asked. "Nathan's doing great, huh?"

"Leading point scorer among rookies," she said with a smile. "He's so happy."

"But how are you?" he repeated, sensing there was something more to what she was feeling. He had noticed her tense at the mention of her fiancée.

"I'm just fine," she said, looking into his eyes in a way that they both knew told him she was lying. "You want to get out of here?"

"We just sat down," he said with a furrowed brow.

"I know. Where are you staying?" she asked. "_Are_ you staying?"

"Yeah. My hotel's just a few blocks away. Peyton, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. Let's just go," she insisted, standing and pulling her jacket back on.

He stood wordlessly and followed her back out of the restaurant and pointed her in the direction of his hotel. She was happy that no one recognized her, as they were known to do from time to time. She was, after all, with the Bobcats' star player, and the close followers of the team knew that.

As soon as they'd stepped into his hotel room, she dropped her bags and shed her coat, and threw her arms around him, letting him hold her like she needed to be held.

"Peyton," he said softly after he pulled away. "What's wrong?"

"It's so different now," she started, sitting on the edge of the bed as he watched her. "Everything is just..._more_. The rumors are more vicious and there are more obligations and expectations."

"What rumors?" Lucas asked as he sat next to her.

The room was fairly dark, as he liked to keep the blinds closed tight for some reason; it was just a habit he'd always had when he stayed in hotels. But it was a comfortable darkness. They could still see each other, and it felt more secluded, like they weren't both battling things outside the room they were in.

"Girls in every city and questions about his attitude and his commitment and his game," she explained.

"Are they true?" he asked gently.

"No," she insisted. "I know his schedule, and I don't think he has time to be with anyone else behind my back. But it's still there, you know? Like the other wives whisper about him because they're so jealous that he's got the starting spot and...I'm sorry. This is so the last thing you need."

"I don't mind," he said softly, smiling as she let out a quick breath.

"You know what one of them said to me? One of the wives? She told me to just ignore that he's sleeping around, because that's what comes with the privilege of being with an NBA player," she said angrily. "Like, it's worth the crazy gossip because you can live this lifestyle. Isn't that ridiculous?"

"That's pretty much the most absurd thing I've ever heard," he said with a weak laugh. "But he's not cheating, right?"

"No," she said again, shaking her head adamantly. "I mean, he could be, but..."

"What?" he asked softly.

"You know what I thought the other day? I actually wished he was cheating, because that would give me an out," she admitted quietly.

He heard her voice break and he instinctively pulled her against his chest, letting her clutch his shirt in her hands and cry against him. Her confession was a surprise, but he somehow knew exactly how she felt. He'd found himself thinking similar thoughts lately about he and Haley.

"Peyton, please stop crying," he pleaded gently, brushing the hair from her face when she pulled away.

"I'm sorry. I can't help it," she said with a weak laugh.

"If you don't stop crying, I'm gonna have to do something drastic to _make_ you stop," he said seriously, looking into her eyes.

"So do something drastic," she pleaded after a moment. He tried to look away, she could tell, but he couldn't do it.

"Peyton..."

"Can you just kiss me?" she asked. "Because the only time I've felt really good in the past year was the last time you kissed me and I need to feel that again. And it's alright if you can't, or if you don't want..."

Her rambling, which he'd found absolutely adorable, was cut off when his lips crashed onto hers. It was tentative and maybe just a little uncertain, but when her hand found the back of his neck, it became the exact opposite. Soon they were laying back on the mattress, with her on her back and he leaning over her, letting his hand run over her stomach.

"What about Haley?" she asked breathlessly as he began unbuttoning her shirt.

"You're thinking about Haley right now?" he teased repeating her question from months earlier. He began dragging his lips across her collar bone as she laughed and then pulled his face to meet hers so she could kiss him again.

"Luke," she whimpered.

"Stop thinking," he insisted, pulling back from her just long enough to see her smile.

Her chest was heaving and her cheeks were flushed in the best possible way. He undid the last button of her shirt and she sat up to slip it off her shoulders as her hands went to work on the buttons of his. Soon enough, that bare chest that she'd never forgotten since that first glimpse was on display, and she bit her lip in that way that had driven him wild all those months ago.

"You're gonna kill me," he said with a smirk when her hand traveled to the front of his pants and began undoing the button. She moved to the zipper and she noticed his breathing speed up even more.

"Are you sure?" she asked breathlessly from her place beneath him.

They were well past the point where they could go back, but she needed to ask the question anyway. He didn't answer her. He didn't nod or insist that this was all he'd wanted since that first day he'd caught sight of those blonde ringlets of hers. He just kissed her hungrily and intertwined his hand with hers, raising it above her head.

It was all natural and fluid and it felt really fucking good. Kisses and touches that felt more familiar than they should have, and whispered demands that didn't need to be voiced because somehow they each just knew what the other needed. She wasn't sure how he knew exactly what she loved, but he did. She found that spot on his neck that always made him lose all control, and she kissed him like she meant it. It was all too much and not enough.

"That was..." she said after he'd moved off her and they'd slipped beneath the sheets.

"That was," he finished, pulling her into his side and smiling when she draped her leg over his.

"I don't want to talk," she said needlessly, since she could tell he was fully content with just laying there with her.

"OK," he whispered, pressing a kiss to her hair.

Nothing more was said. They just drifted off to sleep, alone in their own little world away from everything they should have been worrying about.

----

Haley strolled through the streets of L.A. in just jeans and a tank top with a sweater and a light jacket over top, completely content to just wander and not worry about where she had to be or what she had to do. She'd had breakfast with a friend from Stanford that morning, and lunch with another, and the rest of her day was left to herself. She'd stopped in for a coffee at a small shop in a funky part of town, and was just about to step into a little boutique when she heard her name called.

"Haley?"

Her head snapped around to see who it was who'd called her, not that she needed the confirmation; she'd know that voice anywhere.

"Nathan," she said softly as he stood in front of her, smiling that Nathan Scott smile that gave her butterflies. "Hi."

"What are you doing here? And how do we run in to each other like this?" he asked with a laugh.

"I'm just here visiting friends," she explained. "What about you?"

"We play the Lakers two nights from now. I'm just kind of hanging out."

"Wow," she mumbled. "I kind of can't believe it."

Not a day went by in those three months when she didn't remember his lips on hers and that feeling of regret she'd had when she'd had to leave him that night. She wanted to hate herself for that, but she just couldn't find it in her to do it.

"Yeah," he said with a slight laugh. "Listen, are you busy? I mean, other than shopping?"

"No," she laughed. "I really do want to look at that dress, though."

She scrunched her nose as she pointed to the blue silk on the mannequin, and he thought that was just about the most adorable thing he'd ever seen.

"After you, Miss James," he said with a smile, opening the door to the shop for her. She just rolled her eyes and walked past him.

He watched her intently as she walked through the store, picking up a couple items to try on and checking price tags. She sipped her coffee and wiped her upper lip subtly with her finger tip. Suddenly every little thing she did was completely captivating to him. She'd brush her hair away from her eyes or run her hand along her collarbone, and he'd have to look away.

"You don't mind if I try these on, do you?" she asked sheepishly. "I mean, I'm sure you don't want to just hang out in a store and wait for me."

"It's alright. I can give you a second opinion," he said, smiling as he took a seat in one of the chairs just outside the fitting rooms.

"Where's Luke?" he asked through the curtain, afraid that he wouldn't have the courage to say those words to her face.

"Tree Hill," she answered simply.

He watched as her jeans pooled at her feet beneath the fabric of the curtain, and it sent his mind racing. This woman had an unreal effect on him.

"I took a couple days off work so I could have a long weekend," she explained. "OK. I'm coming out."

"I'm prepared," he laughed.

The knee-length blue silk dress hugged her in all the right places, and showed off her slender legs. Her hair was longer than the last time he'd seen her, he noticed, and it was in a loose wave, cascading down her back as she looked at herself in the mirror. He could barely take his eyes off her, and even if he could, he wouldn't have wanted to.

"Well?" she asked with a smirk after seeing the look on his face.

"Yeah," he said softly. "Yeah, it's uh...it's good."

"Good?" she laughed. She knew that kind of speechlessness certainly didn't mean anything bad.

"I've just never seen you in anything like that," he managed. "It's _really_ sexy."

"I don't know," she said after a few moments, during which their eyes had locked in the mirror and she made no attempt to hide the pink on her cheeks. "It's a lot of money."

"Worth every penny," he insisted. "Trust me, Hales. I don't think I can let you leave this store without that dress."

"Not everyone has your salary, there, Hotshot," she teased, turning to face him.

"Come on." He scoffed, but the way she said that playful nickname made him smile. "Next item, please."

"Nathan, you really don't have to do this with me. I'm sure you have some business to take care of," she said with a shrug.

"Haley, I had a practice this morning, and I have nothing to do until practice tomorrow morning. It's kind of nice to not hang around with a bunch of guys for once," he said, laughing when she rolled her eyes dramatically and went back into the fitting room.

"So how are things going?" she asked, though she'd kept tabs on his stats and his game. She hadn't let anyone else know that, though occasionally Lucas would talk to her about it. She just pretended she didn't know that Nathan was already being tabbed as rookie of the year, or that the best players in the league were complimenting him left, right, and centre.

"Good. You know? Lot of pressure and extra things I'd rather not deal with," he explained. "But I just remind myself that I get payed to play ball and try to ignore everything else."

"That's smart," she said. "I learned the same thing when I was on the road. Like, whatever anyone else says doesn't matter as long as you're doing your job."

She stepped out, wearing her own jeans and a plum coloured top that was mostly open at the back. He noticed immediately the absence of a bra, and he swore that she was trying to kill him.

"I love this," she said, turning around in front of the mirror and looking at herself from different angles.

"Me too," he said in a low voice.

Her eyes caught his in the mirror again, and she noticed that he didn't have any shame or regret in his eyes. He wasn't nervous to tell her exactly what he felt, and in that moment, he felt like she was the most incredible woman he'd ever seen.

"Nathan," she said softly, looking down and tucking her hair behind her ear. He noticed the redness in her cheeks, and smiled.

"I'm not going to apologize," he said defiantly, crossing his arms on his chest. She could only smile at him. She kind of loved that about him. That take-no-prisoners, cocky confidence about him that he'd use when he felt it suited.

She heaved a sigh and went back into the dressing room, and neither of them said anything else until she came out, holding both the items she'd tried.

"Did I convince you?" he asked with a smile, pointing to both the items in her hands.

"You may have helped in the decision making process," she said, stepping up to the counter and pulling out her credit card.

After they'd left the store, they began to walk in mostly silence, and before she realized where they were, they were standing in front of her hotel.

"Um...do you want to come in?" she asked timidly. "I mean, we can just hang out or something."

"Sure," he smiled. "Remember? I have no other plans."

They headed into the lobby and made small talk as they rode the elevator, and when she stepped into her room, he followed her, watching as she kicked off her shoes and dropped her things. She ran her hands through her hair, and he realized that she was impossibly sexy. What made her even sexier was that she had absolutely no clue what she was doing to him.

"So," she said abruptly, turning to him.

"So," he echoed. He took a seat on the edge of the bed and watched as she paced in front of him.

"Should we talk about it?" she asked hurriedly. "I mean, this shouldn't be so easy, right? We're both in relationships, no matter how rocky those may be, and we kissed, and then it's just...normal between us after not seeing or talking to each other for three months?"

"Whoa, Hales," Nathan laughed, standing and resting his hands on her shoulders. "Take a breath."

They both remembered the first time he'd said that to her, and done that very same thing with his hands, the night of his jersey retirement. She looked up at him and at that smirk and into those eyes, and she was completely lost. Her breathing sped up as his hands trailed down her arms and loosely grasped her wrists. Their bodies were only inches apart, and the heat between them, both figuratively and literally, was making it even harder to ignore what was inevitably going to happen next.

He leaned down and kissed her sweetly, and then his arms snaked around her, pulling her closer to him. She moaned at the feel of his tongue against hers, and he just about lost his mind. Every single sound that came from her was the most amazing thing he'd ever heard.

His hands began to push up the fabric of her shirt, and he fully expected her to pull away from him like she had last time when things got more intense. This time, she began toying with the cotton of the shirt he had on, tugging at it and indicating that she wanted him shirtless immediately. He pulled away and raised his arms, letting her push the fabric up as far as she could, given that she was so much shorter than he was. He dropped his shirt on the floor and his hands moved to the front of her jeans as she began peppering kisses to his bare torso.

He was a beautiful man, and she didn't have to question how he got his body. She just questioned how she'd gone so long without seeing him this way, or feeling his lips on her skin. It was like he knew exactly how she needed to be touched.

He hooked his arm around her waist and laid her down gently on the bed, hovering above her. He brushed a lock of hair away from her forehead before he dipped down to kiss her again, and when he felt her rock her hips against his, he got the impression that she knew exactly what they were doing and what she wanted from him.

"Take those off," she demanded, pointing to his boxers. She was breathing heavily and her eyes were almost black.

"Who knew little Haley James was such a vixen," he growled, kicking off his shorts and reaching for her hips.

"Shut up," she laughed. She gasped softly when he pulled her last remaining piece of clothing from her body and then brushed his hand up her side.

"You're amazing," he muttered before he kissed her again.

"I said shut up," she said seriously, making him chuckle.

He was everything she'd never had before, and everything she wanted to have forever, and it was absolutely terrifying. She felt like he knew her, and the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she _wanted_ him to know her. He was perfect, and his hands were on her skin, and that was enough for the both of them. The way she said his name, and the way her hands caressed his back, just about made him lose all control. Her lips were soft and perfect, and it was just the two of them together, and he didn't really know anything outside of that. It was amazing, and he was pretty sure he never wanted it to end.

She ran her fingers through the hair at his temple, and he kissed her quickly once more before he rolled away and pulled her petite body against him.

"You are full of surprises," he said softly, kissing the top of her head as she traced circles on his chest.

"That was...," she whispered.

"Yeah."

He just tightened his hold on her and he felt her relax against him. Neither of them questioning what any of it meant or where they were supposed to go from there. They just fell asleep together in the silence of her hotel room.

**----**

**A/N: **Don't hate me. I mean, really, didn't you predict that was going to happen?


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** If you didn't hate me for the last chapter, you might hate me for this one. But it just means more drama (and chapters) to come.

**----**

Haley wasn't sure how long they slept, but when she woke up, the room was pitch black. She stirred in the arms of a man she knew immediately wasn't Lucas, and when she looked up at his slumbering face, she couldn't stop the smile from spreading on her lips. She moved her hand down his stomach to feel him once again, and that was all it took to wake him.

"My God, woman, what are you doing to me?" Nathan asked sleepily as she continued her ministrations.

She just shrugged her shoulder innocently and leaned up to kiss him, catching him by surprise. He stilled her hand with his, and pulled her body so she was mostly on top of him. He let his hand tangle in her hair as he pressed his lips to hers.

"Should we be doing this?" he asked as she moved to kiss his neck.

"You want me to stop?" she inquired with a raised brow, pulling away. She saw him smirk and shake his head, and she could only laugh before she kissed him again.

----

Peyton awoke to the feeling of someone's hand trailing up and down her arm, and that was a reminder, no matter how much she didn't need it, that she wasn't with Nathan. Nathan didn't touch her like that. Nathan's body didn't feel that perfect next to her.

"Hi," she whispered sleepily.

"I've been waiting for you to wake up," Lucas admitted with a smile.

"Why's that?"

"So I can kiss you again, and touch you again," he growled.

She pulled away and smiled, and then leaned in to press her lips to his.

"You're such a dork," she teased, running her hand along his stubbled jaw line.

"We really shouldn't do this, should we?" he asked, completely captivated by her as she moved so she was sitting on top of him, topless and letting her hands rest on his stomach.

"No, we shouldn't," she said with a smile. "But we're still going to."

"Thank God," he sighed, making her laugh before she leaned down and kissed him, hard on the mouth.

----

Haley emerged from the shower with her hair dripping and just a towel around her body. He lay back against the pillows with just the sheets covering him and gathered around his waist. He took a moment to just look at her. Even now, with her face free of makeup, she was without a doubt the most stunning woman he'd ever seen.

"You're unbelievable," he noted, making her turn around to face him. She just smiled and rolled her eyes and then made her way to sit next to him.

"This is so bad!" she cried.

"It's really awful," he admitted, smirking when she placed her hand on his stomach again. Those little touches were something he hadn't, for some reason, expected to grow so attached to.

"What are we gonna do?" she asked somewhat worriedly. "I mean, you have a fiancé, and I have a Luke."

"And your Luke happens to be my brother," he pointed out. Her brow furrowed and he noticed the change in her posture. "What?"

"I don't think I've ever heard you call him that before," she said softly.

"I don't think I ever have," he admitted. They shared a quiet moment, both realizing the significance of him using that word. "I don't know what to do, Hales. I don't want to ignore this."

He gestured to the space between them with his hand. She looked down to her lap and he could feel the nervousness radiating off her.

"I don't want to ignore it either, but we kind of have to, don't we?" she asked quietly.

"I think we've shot that notion all to hell," he laughed, making her smile and tilt her head. "I don't think I can just not see you again."

"What are we gonna do?" she asked again, with more frustration in her tone.

"Are you going to end things with him?" he asked. There was an uncertainty and a vulnerability in his voice that she found incredibly sexy.

"I don't know," she said sadly. "He's my best friend."

"Do you really think you can just push this aside?"

"No," she admitted. "But I can't lose my best friend. God, if he even knew that you and I talk, he'd probably freak out."

"But you're not happy with him, Haley," he pointed out. "And don't feed me any lines about how you are. I know you want something more."

"It's not that easy!" she cried. "There are years of history and it's just so complicated."

"I know how you feel," he muttered.

"So what about you?" she asked, holding her breath for his answer.

"All Peyton and I do is hurt each other any more," he admitted with a shrug of his shoulders. "And it's like we just stay together because we think that's how it's supposed to be."

"But you love her," she said, shaking her head and narrowing her eyes.

"I love her for being there for me. I don't think I'm in love with her any more."

Haley stood from the bed and began pacing the room again as she ran her hands over her face and through her still-wet hair. She certainly wasn't succeeding in making him _not_ want her by doing things like that.

"Haley, come here," he insisted desperately. She turned to him and shook her head, avoiding eye contact. "I'd get up, but I'm naked."

She just tilted her head back and laughed a little as she walked back to the bed. He took her hand when she was seated again, and brushed his thumb over her knuckles.

"Haley, I don't know when you and I will even be able to see each other again, and I hate that thought," he insisted. "I don't want to complicate things more by having to keep this all a secret. And I know you don't want to cheat on Luke."

"But I just did," she said quietly, feeling the lump forming in her throat. "Are you going to leave her?"

"Are you going to leave him?" he asked.

"I really don't think I can," she said after a moment, letting a tear slip from her eye.

The sight of that tear just about broke him, but then the thought that he'd never be able to be with her like this again made him feel even worse. Almost angry. If she'd said she was going to leave Lucas, he'd end things with Peyton. But her uncertainty let him know that he just couldn't do that. Losing Peyton over nothing wasn't an option. He didn't believe this thing with Haley was nothing, but if he couldn't have her, he wasn't going to push Peyton away.

"I have to go," he said quietly.

"Nathan..."

"No, there are rules and stuff. I really do need to get back to my hotel," he informed her, reaching for his boxers as he stood from the bed.

"I don't want you to go," she admitted.

She searched his eyes for any indication that he wanted to stay. She could see that he did, and they both knew that her statement meant more than those simple words. She didn't want him to go, but she also didn't want to be without him in general. She wanted to know that she would see him again soon.

"We both know I have to," he said softly.

He got dressed wordlessly as she watched from her spot, and when he went to leave, he leaned down for one last kiss that lingered longer than maybe it should have.

And when he was out the door and it had closed behind him, she lay down on the bed and started to cry like she hadn't cried in a long, long time.

----

Lucas stood looking out the window, standing in just his jeans as he waited for Peyton to finish in the shower. He had his hands clasped on the top of his head and was completely lost in thoughts and memories of the blonde girl he'd spent a whirlwind day with.

"You _really_ are damn sexy, you know that?" she said, calling his attention to her as she stood with her shoulder against the wall. He turned around at the sound of her voice and smiled a genuine smile.

"So are you," he insisted, walking towards her and resting his hands on her hips.

"What now, Luke?" she asked after a quiet moment, looking anywhere but into his eyes.

"I really don't know," he admitted regrettably. "I mean...we can't just do this, right?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "But I know that I can't...not do this, either."

"We shouldn't have done this at all," he pointed out. "I mean, I don't regret it, and it was...perfect."

"I know," she nodded. "But it was so..."

"Wrong," he finished, watching as she nodded.

"Are you happy with her?" Peyton asked quietly, locking eyes with him as she waited for his answer.

"Sometimes," he whispered. "Other times, I just want my best friend back."

"So end it with her and you can have that," she said, as though it was the easiest thing in the world.

"I can't," he said adamantly. "We won't survive this."

"So you can just not see me again? Not feel this again?" she asked quickly, that fight in her that he'd always admired visibly on display.

She placed her palm flat on his chest, and he wasn't sure if that was meant to feel as intense as it did, but he looked down at her, and she looked to the floor before retracting her hand. She had felt his heart racing beneath her palm, and she was sure hers was doing the same. It shouldn't have felt like that. She shouldn't have felt like that with him. But she couldn't help it, and if she was being honest, she kind of liked it. She really liked it.

"What about you and Nathan?" he asked, his tone nearly matching hers. "You really think you could end things with him and be OK with leaving this life?"

"You think I'm with him for the lifestyle?" she asked, looking at him with fury in her eyes at his accusation. "We _just_ talked about that. Today, in fact. And now you're accusing me of being one of those women!"

"I'm not," he insisted. She tried to pull away from him, but he wouldn't let her move. "I'm not, Peyton. I just...we both have a lot on the line here, and I have no idea what any of this means."

"What do you feel when you're with me?" she asked quietly. He just shook his head before looking at her again.

"If I answer that it'll change everything," he said.

He knew that if he verbalized it, nothing could go back. It was already so messed up, but if he answered her question honestly, their entire world would be turned upside down.

"Tell me," she demanded.

"I feel like...like this - you and me - is exactly what I've always wanted," he said quietly, letting his hands grasp her wrists loosely and looking down at the space between them. "And it's scary."

He looked up just in time to see a tear rolled down her cheek, and then her eyes met his and she just nodded, letting him know that she felt exactly the same things he did.

"So what do we do?" he asked with a shrug.

"We go to Nathan and Haley, and we end things," she said seriously.

He heaved a sigh and closed his eyes, knowing that no matter how simple she made that task sound, it wasn't going to be easy.

"I have to go," she said abruptly, disturbing his thought.

"Peyton, don't," he said seriously, holding her tighter.

"No, Dan and Deb are coming in tomorrow to watch the game and be here when Nathan gets home. I have to go," she repeated.

"When are we going to see each other again?" he asked, watching as she gathered the last of her things and slipped on her jacket.

"I don't know. I'll call you the next time I'm in Tree Hill," she said softly.

"OK." It was all he could say, knowing no other words would have mattered or made any sense.

She took a deep breath after he kissed her one last time, and walked out of the room, leaving him to think of how in the world he was going to do what he had to do. Ending things with Haley seemed like the most horrible thing he'd ever have to do in his life. But he felt that being without Peyton would a million times worse.

----

Haley's flight from L.A. got in late that Sunday evening, and as she'd expected, Lucas was already in bed when she got home. She shed her clothes and slipped into bed next to her boyfriend, and he instinctively reached out for her when he felt the bed dip next to him.

Lucas' touch was so different than Nathan's, but it still made a comfort wash over her. She really thought she would, but she didn't feel any guilt at all over her tryst with Nathan, and she had no idea why that was. She didn't want to believe that it was because she already felt more for Nathan than she did for Lucas. She didn't want to believe that because it would turn her entire world upside down. Everything she'd come to know would change completely, and she wasn't sure she was prepared for any of that.

When she woke up the next day, she found the bed next to her empty. After stretching and taking a quick shower, she headed downstairs ready to have a quick bite and head to work. She and Lucas usually drove to the school together, so it was no surprise when he was waiting in the kitchen with a plate of breakfast and a coffee waiting for her at the kitchen table.

"Hey," he said with a smile. "I didn't want to wake you up until the last minute. I know you got in late."

"Thanks," she said, leaning in to kiss him quickly.

"So how was it?" he asked as they sat down to their breakfast.

"It was great!" she said happily. It certainly wasn't a lie, but it felt strange to say it to him. "Who would have thought Taylor would be the successful manager of three restaurants in L.A.?"

"Certainly not...anyone," Lucas said, making them both laugh. He took a sip of his coffee before speaking again. "I missed you around here."

It wasn't a lie. He had missed her. He'd missed her companionship and her friendship, just like he always had when she was away. He just realized that somewhere along the way, when they'd blurred the lines of their friendship, he'd begun to take her for granted. He wanted his friend back, but he wasn't sure he'd ever get her back, whether he stayed with her in the long run or not.

"I missed you, too, Luke," she said with a smile.

And suddenly, it felt to Haley like giving up Lucas was something she would never get over. He was her best friend, and she needed him in her life, no matter what. She couldn't even remember a time when he wasn't her best friend, and the thought of losing that was more powerful than whatever arbitrary connection she felt with Nathan.

"Can you promise me something?" she asked seriously, taking his hand in hers.

"Sure," he said, squinting, wondering where this was coming from.

"Promise me that no matter what, you and I will always be best friends," she pleaded softly.

He wasn't sure if she'd just read his mind, or what was going on with her, but he was thankful that she'd brought it up.

"I promise."

But soon as he'd said the words, they both knew that promise would be broken.

Somehow, they both just knew.

----

Nathan entered his house to the smell of coffee and the sound of some underground hip hop coming from the kitchen. He dropped his bag and strolled casually into the kitchen, just in time to see Peyton bobbing her head and shaking her hips as she buttered her toast.

"Nice moves, baby," he teased, though they both knew he loved to see her that way.

"Nathan!" she cried, turning around and rushing towards him. "Hi!"

"Hey," he muttered as he kissed her forehead. He brushed his lips against hers in that same way he'd always loved to do after a long road trip. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too," she admitted with a smile.

"Where are mom and dad?" he asked curiously after looking around the kitchen.

"Your fiancé is _very_ persuasive," she said teasingly, walking back to her breakfast.

"What'd you do?" he inquired, laughing as she tossed him a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Just called them and told then that you sounded really tired on the phone, and that we'd get them tickets to the next home game and have dinner with them soon," she said with a shrug and a smile. "Oh, and my dad called and said that you looked good against the Mavs, but that you were slow on D and you passed on a three that you should have hit."

"I love you," he said as he smirked. It was a little abrupt to say it, but it was true and he knew she wouldn't question it.

He knew that, even if Haley had asked him to, it wouldn't have been that easy to end things with Peyton. She loved him, and she'd been there for him, and with him, and she'd stood by him through everything. Allegations of steroid use (that were eventually proven false), rumors of hookups in other towns (also completely untrue...well, until Haley), playoffs and draft day and his first game. He couldn't just pretend that meant nothing to him. He couldn't pretend _she_ meant nothing to him. She fit into his world because he'd carved out a place for her, and he knew he wanted her there. She was his girl, and he was having a really difficult time seeing it any other way.

"I love you, too," she said, sitting next to him at the counter and kissing his cheek.

As soon as she'd left Lucas' hotel room, as she was waiting for a cab, she saw a billboard with Nathan's face, larger than life, and a catchy marketing tag line. She was overcome with that sense of pride and love she'd always felt for him. She knew that whatever had happened between her and Lucas was nothing in comparison to the relationship she'd built with Nathan over the years. She wouldn't throw that away, no matter what. Sure, when she was with Lucas, she felt like a completely different person, but there was no indication that was the person she was meant to be.

She was with Nathan. She loved Nathan. Nathan was the one sitting next to her, telling her he had the entire day off and murmuring seductively against the shell of her ear, telling her exactly how he wanted to spend his time.

This was where she was supposed to be. She had to believe that.


	8. Chapter 8

Months went by. Four, to be exact. Lucas didn't hear a word from Peyton, and he wasn't sure whether that was the best or worst thing that could have happened. If she'd called and told him she'd ended things with Nathan, he knew he would have had to end it with Haley.

But she didn't call, and he saw photographs of her with Nathan as he accepted awards and strolled through Charlotte after the basketball season was over. She was smiling, but he could see, even in a grainy photograph, that the smile she wore wasn't the same as the one she'd worn with him all those months ago. He didn't really know what that meant, but it meant something.

He'd heard whispers among his players that Nathan Scott would be in Tree Hill all summer long, and that they hoped to see him around. It tore at Lucas' heart to think that he'd have to see Peyton parading around with his brother.

He was walking through town one afternoon in the middle of the week, just enjoying the time alone while Haley was at work. He'd just stepped out of his mother's café with a coffee in his hand and a smile on his face, and he saw the two people who'd consumed his thoughts for weeks. And the one person who'd consumed his thoughts since that amazing day he'd spent with her months and months ago.

"Be nice," Peyton warned softly as they approached the blonde. Nathan just chuckled and squeezed her hand before she spoke again. "Hey Lucas."

"Peyton. Nathan," he said, nodding to each of them. "Congrats on Rookie of the Year, man. That's great."

"Thanks," Nathan said sincerely. He admired Lucas' ability to see past everything in their history and be kind and, dare he say, supportive.

It wasn't lost on her that he was barely looking at her. She didn't know why that was, but she knew it didn't mean anything good. He didn't ask how she was doing. He spoke to Nathan and barely acknowledged her. And that stung far more than it probably should have.

"How's Haley," Peyton asked, locking eyes with the man in front of her.

It was petty, but she was going to force him to pay attention to her. They both knew that it was her way of asking if he was still with his girlfriend, and he wanted to yell at her and tell her that she had no right to ask him that or look at him like that when her hand still held a diamond that was her promise to another man.

Neither of them noticed Nathan's posture change at the mention of the other woman.

"She's great," Lucas said, smiling in a way that he knew only Peyton would see was tense. "She's at work right now. Things are good, though."

"Good," Peyton replied simply. "Well, we were just going to meet Nathan's parents for a late lunch. I'm sure we'll see you around."

"Yeah. Small town like this, it's bound to happen," he added, laughing slightly. "Enjoy your lunch."

He walked away and the couple was left on the sidewalk frozen in place, each thinking very similar thoughts about totally different people.

Part of Nathan really wanted to hear that Lucas and Haley had broken up. It was completely selfish, since he was obviously still with Peyton, but a big part of him felt that even if he couldn't have her, that Haley still shouldn't be with Lucas anyway.

"He's a good guy, right?" Nathan asked abruptly as they started walking again.

He wasn't sure where the question came from, and he already knew the answer, but he needed confirmation of it. He needed to know that Haley was taken care of.

"Yeah," Peyton said with a sad smile. "He is."

She didn't know why he'd asked, just assuming it was something to do with the fact that the man was his brother and he just wanted to know more about him, but she felt that her answer was the biggest understatement she'd ever spoken.

----

Haley was taking a late night stroll on the beach, near that place where she and Nathan had had one of those first conversations. She had a light sweater over her shoulders and her iPod playing music that, in that moment, she just needed to hear.

Lucas had told her in passing over dinner that Nathan and Peyton were back in town, as everyone had expected them to be, and since then, she'd found herself consumed with thoughts of the raven haired man that she felt much more for than she should have. She'd explained that she just needed the beach, and had left. Lucas didn't question it, as this was something she did at least once every couple weeks. She'd walk on the sand with her shoes in her hand and her music playing, and just think.

The figure she saw approaching made her breath hitch in her throat. She knew that body. She knew that body better than anyone suspected. She tugged the cord of her earphones and put on a smile that she wasn't sure she should be wearing.

"Haley," he said softly.

"Hi," she muttered. She tried to sound casual, but there was a knot in her stomach that she knew going to leave any time soon.

"How are you?" he asked. She knew that question was loaded with a lot more than anyone else would assume.

"OK. Just...just clearing my head," she said, looking around the beach.

"Yeah, me too," he said, smiling weakly at her. "You want to go to our spot? To talk?"

"We have a spot?" she asked with grin.

"You know what I mean," he said as they started walking.

"Yeah I do," she said.

"And that's what makes it our spot," he said, smiling down at her and watching as she rolled her eyes.

She didn't know how they could joke or tease each other. They'd shared an incredibly intimate day together, both decided that they couldn't leave their significant others, and then hadn't spoken in months. She'd thought initially that was for the best; that separating herself from him and how she felt when she was with him would make her stop feeling anything for him at all.

It hadn't worked.

They settled onto the sand and they were quiet again, each wondering what the other was thinking and who would be the first to speak.

"What were you listening to?" he asked finally, fixing his eyes on the ocean in front of them.

"Nothing you'd like," she responded. He turned to look at her, and she knew she was being difficult and that he really didn't deserve that. "My all time favourite singer/songwriter, Patty Griffin. She's amazing. Really great lyrics, and her voice is just...What?"

He was looking at her with a genuine smile on his face, and she didn't know what had changed his demeanor so drastically.

"You light up when you talk about music," he pointed out, watching as she shook her head. "You do. You shouldn't hide your passion."

"I'm not," she said, narrowing her eyes, wondering why he would say that. Or how he _knew_ that.

"Yeah, you are," he insisted. "You're afraid to sing in this town. Like you're scared of what people will think of you if you chase that dream."

He'd just verbalized exactly how she'd felt since she'd left her tour all those years ago. The look on her face told him that he was right.

"It's weird how well you can read me," she said softly, looking down at the sand.

"Not really," he countered. "You and I are more alike than you want to admit."

She just let out a breathy laugh and then a deep sigh, and laid back on the sand.

"I hate that," she said, closing her eyes.

"What?" he laughed.

"I hate that you understand me so well, and I only get you for moments at a time once every few months," she admitted softly.

"I'm sorry, Haley," he said quietly, hanging his head.

"You don't have to be sorry," she insisted, her tone even.

She was still laying with her hands clasped over her stomach and her eyes closed. Her hair was splayed on the sand around her, and she knew she'd regret that later, but in that moment it didn't matter.

"Don't I?" he asked. He lay down next to her and boldly took one of her hands in his, intertwining their fingers together as their hands sat between the two of them.

"I don't know what to do anymore," she said after a few moments. He heard her voice break and the sound just about broke his heart.

"Me neither," he admitted.

They just lay on the beach, silent and holding hands in their secret little spot, for another hour. They just needed to be together, feeling the other's skin and breathing together and trying not to think of anything outside that time or space.

When she turned to him in the darkness and leaned in to kiss him, he didn't stop her. He pulled her closer to him and he responded with everything he was feeling. He wanted to kiss her. He'd wanted to kiss her since he walked out of that hotel room four months ago. He thought about those lips of hers every single day. If he thought hard enough, he could almost hear the way she said his name ringing in his ear.

"I want you, Nathan," she said softly, resting her head against his. "I wish things were different."

"They can be, Haley," he insisted quietly. "We just...have to do a couple really tough things to make them different."

"You mean like lose a 15 year friendship and create a press frenzy by ending an engagement that's been flaunted on every sports station and gossip magazine in the country?" she asked, suddenly showing her frustration.

"That's it," he smirked, hoping to make her laugh. She just sat up and ran her hands over her face in frustration, or fear or sadness. "Hales..."

"Can you do it?" she asked, turning to look at him as he sat up again.

"I don't think I could _not_ do it," he admitted, almost whispering. "Every time I think of you, I feel this...this emptiness. That probably sounds stupid."

"No," she said softly, shaking her head. "Like there's a void you didn't know was even there until you found the thing that filled it."

"Yeah," he sighed.

And there it was. They were on the same page. She didn't know why that surprised her, but it did.

"I have to go," she said after a moment of just looking at each other.

"Don't," he insisted, reaching for her hand once again. "Not yet."

"Nathan, I can't..."

"10 minutes," he pleaded. "Please."

She sighed again, and wiped away a tear that he hadn't seen fall, and he pulled her into his arms. They lay back down on the sand with her head resting on his chest, both feeling like that was the most comfortable and natural thing they'd done in months.

----

Lucas had been distant and preoccupied since he ran into Peyton. He vaguely remembered Nathan being there, but he could only think of that blonde woman as she stared at him, begging for the answer to a question that he knew she didn't want to hear.

She looked beautiful, but he could tell there was something she didn't want anyone else - only him - to see. He knew that, because he had done the same thing.

He was hurt that she was still with Nathan, and he wanted to be mad at her about that, but he really couldn't. He was still with Haley, despite the 'agreement' he and Peyton had made. They'd both said they would end things and be together, they'd just underestimated how hard it was going to be. They'd obviously both settled for the comfort and the security of what they each already had, instead of changing everything.

Since it was so close to the end of the school year, his duties as coach were pretty much non-existent. While Haley was at work, he'd tidied the house and then made his way to the River Court. It was still the one and only place that could make him feel untouchable. He didn't have a novel with publishers, just waiting for him to tell them he wanted to go ahead with editing. He didn't have a girlfriend. He didn't have an estranged brother or a father he never knew. He didn't have Peyton.

He had the ball, and his hands, and his instincts with the game.

This day, however, those instincts were off, and when he missed his sixth shot in a row, he threw the ball angrily into the bleachers.

"I thought you were good at this game," Peyton said teasingly as she stepped onto the court behind him.

"What are you doing here, Peyton?" he asked coldly, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the bottom of his shirt.

"Not taking my frustrations out on a ball," she responded with a raised brow.

He just stared at her for a moment as he tried to catch his breath, resting his hands on his hips. She didn't break his gaze, knowing full well that's what he expected her to do.

"What are you doing here?" he repeated, with a little less hostility. Just a little less.

"I was taking a walk and I saw you. I thought I'd say hi," she explained. "Clearly, that was a mistake."

"I'm sorry," he said, sensing her dejected tone. "This is hard, Peyton."

She picked up the ball from where it had rolled on the blacktop and spun it in her hands.

"You just toss this ball through that hoop. Easy," she said with a shrug, making him smile just a little bit. He had to give her credit for easing the tension. She threw the ball towards him and he caught it with ease.

"I don't know what you want me to say. You're with him, and I'm with her, and this just can't be anything. Right?" he asked hurriedly.

"It is though," she whispered insistently. "God, Luke, these past few months without you have been so..."

"I know," he nodded somberly. "Haley just deserves so much more than this."

"Than you breaking up with her? Or you cheating on her," she asked quietly, avoiding eye contact.

"Both," he nodded.

"So you think you can just spend your life with her without feeling...this...again?" she asked, taking steps towards him. She realized how closely that mirrored the words they'd exchanged in a hotel room four months ago.

"No," he said adamantly. "I know I can't."

"Me neither," she said softly.

"So what now? God, Peyton, you're engaged to him," he said, defeat in his voice.

"Well, the last time we made promises, neither of us held up our end of the bargain," she said with a slight laugh.

"I'm sorry," he said, shaking his head.

"Don't," she insisted. "Don't apologize."

"I feel like...I feel like I need to be with you," he admitted quietly, locking eyes with her again.

It was a bold statement that he wasn't sure he should have made, but that had never stopped either of them before. Their relationship had never been based on subtleties, not since that first day they spoke. They would tell each other exactly what they were thinking. Maybe, he thought, that's what got them in this situation in the first place. If they hadn't been so honest and comfortable, he wouldn't have kissed her on his sofa. She wouldn't have begged him to kiss her again, though they both knew it was exactly what he wanted. They wouldn't have slept together and nothing would have changed. They'd still be virtual strangers, and their lives wouldn't have come to this.

"I know," she agreed. "God, I want to kiss you right now."

He just smirked, because what man didn't want to hear that? The alarm on his phone went off, and he groaned and looked skyward.

"I have to go," he informed her regrettably.

"Lucas..."

"No, I have to drive my mom to the airport. I'm house sitting for her for a couple days," he clarified. He kind of loved that she wanted him to stay, though.

"I need to end it with him," she said suddenly.

"Do what you have to do," he nodded. "And I'll do what I have to do."

"When can I see you?" she asked quietly after a moment of just looking into his eyes.

"I don't know," he shrugged. "Soon, OK?"

She took a deep breath and nodded her head, and then watched him walk away, bouncing the ball on the pavement as he left.

She sat for a while, letting the sound of the river running calm her nerves. This place felt like Lucas, somehow. It was quiet and hidden away and just a little rough around the edges. You had to look hard to really appreciate everything that it was, but when you did that, you were rewarded by seeing just how powerful and unique it was.

She knew, as she made her way back to the beach house, that she had to end things with Nathan immediately. She knew that it was now or never, and that she needed to tell him it was over while she still had the nerve.

So she was less than impressed when she got to the house and noticed Dan's SUV in the driveway.

"Peyton!" Deb called when she'd stepped through the door and into the kitchen.

"Hi," she answered as happily as she could. She shot Nathan a glance and he looked at her as though he was apologizing for his parents being there.

He'd wanted that time to talk to Peyton alone, but then his mom and dad showed up unannounced and his plans were changed. Peyton had been sleeping when he got home the night before, and he'd had a meeting that morning, so he hadn't seen her much. He knew he couldn't stay with her when he had such intense feelings for Haley.

"Well, we wanted to wait until you were both here to show you this," Deb started, barely containing her giddiness. She pulled a folder from her bag and opened it. "This is your official wedding announcement!"

Peyton's eyes went wide and Nathan nearly choked on his water.

"What?" Peyton asked hurriedly, taking the page from her almost mother-in-law. "We haven't even set a date!"

"Well, no, you didn't. But since you two were always so busy, Dan and I took it upon ourselves to find the perfect place. Now, it's that big church just on the edge of town, which should be big enough to hold everyone. The only date they had free was the last Saturday in July, so we booked it right away," Deb rambled excitedly.

"Mom, you can't just book our wedding for us!" Nathan said, hoping that his attitude wasn't completely see-through. He didn't want to get married, but he didn't want to come right out and say it.

"Nonsense, son," Dan chimed in, patting his son on the back. "You've been engaged for over a year. It's time to do it. And you need to get it done before the season starts."

"I'm just...wow," Peyton stuttered, looking at Nathan again.

They hadn't really talked about the wedding much. It was never a priority for either of them. However, when they were first engaged, they both said they wanted something low-key. Maybe outdoors, and definitely just closest family and friends. And now Dan and Deb had made it a complete circus.

"Isn't this just the best photo of you two?" Deb chirped, glancing over Peyton's shoulder at the page she held. "This is just the proof. The announcement will be in Sunday's paper."

"That's um...that's great," Peyton said, plastering on a fake smile.

"Come on, now. We brought Champagne," Dan said, reaching for four glasses.

Deb went to open the bottle, and Nathan just looked at Peyton, shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders apologetically. Neither of them knew what to do. Now, when it happened, the entire town was going to know when their engagement was called off. Not that they wouldn't have found out eventually, but having it printed in black and white in the society page of the local paper, with the date and location and a huge photo of them...It was all just too much.

Nathan's parents stayed for most of the evening, and as soon as they'd left, Nathan started apologizing.

"Peyton, I'm_ so_ sorry. I don't know what the hell their problem is," he said quickly.

"Well, your dad's problem is that he thinks of this wedding as an obligation that 'needs to get done," she said, using finger quotes as she spoke. "And your mom is so eager to plan it that she doesn't care what you or I say. I'd say that's the problem!"

"I'm sorry! I honestly had no clue they were up to this," he said sincerely. "This is insane."

He was just about to open his mouth again and tell her they needed to talk, when she interrupted him.

"I need to...I need to clear my head, OK?" she said hurriedly. "I'm gonna go out for a bit."

"Peyton, we should talk about this," he insisted.

She assumed he was talking about the wedding and how much they had to do in, now, such a short amount of time. She couldn't handle it, so she was going to walk out, for lack of something better to do.

"I'll be back later. I promise. I just need some time to...deal," she said vaguely. She knew she needed to tell him the truth, but it couldn't happen just yet. She wasn't in any rush to break his heart.

"Be careful," he demanded. "Don't go driving like a maniac because you're pissed at my idiot parents."

She just laughed and smiled, and that's exactly what he wanted her to do, and then she was out the door.

As soon as the door had clicked shut behind her, he pulled out his phone and dialed the number of the only person he wanted to talk to more than he wanted to talk to Peyton.

"Haley," he said as soon as he'd heard her pick up.

"What's wrong?" she asked worriedly.

"Where are you? I need to see you," he said, ignoring her question. Or maybe not. Maybe what was wrong with him was that he wasn't with her.

"I'm at home," she said. "Lucas is house sitting for his mom."

"Is that an invitation?" he asked. He knew she'd hear the smirk on his lips, though she couldn't see it, and he heard her laugh softly.

"Come on over," she said.

No more words were exchanged. He just snapped his phone shut and headed for the door.

----

She remembered where his mother lived from their days in high school. It was a small town and his house wasn't far from her old neighbourhood, so she'd see him from time to time, coming or going through the door on the side of the house.

She probably shouldn't have been there, but after the evening she'd had and the two glasses of Champagne she'd had, it seemed like the best place in the world. She suspected she'd feel that way even if she hadn't been ambushed with wedding plans or consumed alcohol.

"Take off your pants," she demanded as she burst through the door to his bedroom.

"Excuse me?" he asked, watching as she unbuttoned her top while simultaneously kicking off her shoes.

He didn't even know she knew where he grew up, and there she was, stripping down in his bedroom. On any other night, he would have teased her and told her she was fulfilling a _lot_ of his teenaged fantasies.

"Take off your pants. I don't have a lot of time," she repeated. She let her shirt drop to the floor and began unzipping her jeans.

"OK, this is ridiculous, Peyton," he said bluntly, standing from the bed.

"Is it?" she asked, letting her jeans pool around her ankles and stepping out of them. She pushed him back onto the bed and climbed onto his lap, placing her hands on his shoulders.

"Peyton," he groaned as he looked at her. It was as much of a protest as he could really manage.

"Tell me to stop," she insisted with a smirk. "Tell me to stop, and I'll leave."

He thought for a moment, and then his hands made their way to her hips and he knew he was lost to all rational thought. He couldn't deny her, and he wouldn't. He'd wanted her to come to him since their last encounter, and while he wasn't crazy about the almost businesslike feeling of this meeting, he was crazy about her and the things her body could make his feel.

"You know I can't do that," he said softly.

"Good," she whispered, leaning down to kiss him hungrily.

----

Nathan walked up the steps and onto the porch, and rapped on the door with his knuckles. A few moments later, Haley was standing in front of him in just her jeans and a tank top, and he simply put his hand on her stomach, pushed her back into the house, and kicked the door closed behind him.

He spun them around so her back was to the door, and she let out a whimper when her shoulders collided with the hard surface. He could see she was about to question him, so he leaned down and kissed her like he'd wanted to kiss her the night before. Completely disregarding the fact that they weren't really together, and they each had other people, and someone might have seen him walk into her home. He didn't care. He just needed the feel of her lips on his and her body against his own.

"Nathan," she muttered as he moved to kiss her neck.

"I need you, Haley," he insisted, pulling away and looking into her eyes. "I need you right now."

"Demanding," she said with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

"I _know_ you like it," he growled, slipping his hand down to work the button of her jeans.

"This is so bad," she insisted with a smile, leaning up to kiss him again.

"I could go..." he said teasingly, undoing her zipper torturously slowly.

"You are not going anywhere," she said adamantly, making him laugh right before he kissed her again.

It was definitely bad and it was definitely wrong, and they definitely should have had the sense to stop it. But neither of them had the willpower to do it, and they were both well aware of that. She didn't ask if he'd broken up with Peyton, and he didn't care if she'd broken up with Lucas. The only thing that mattered was that they were together in that moment.


	9. Chapter 9

Since Karen was away, Lucas and Haley had taken turns overseeing things at the café. The staff Karen had was fully capable of running things, but either Haley or Lucas would pop in a couple times a day just to see that things were going smoothly and there were no proverbial fires to put out.

That Sunday, they'd given the employees the day off and decided they'd work instead, since neither of them was doing anything else. It was a particularly slow day, and after the lunch rush, it was pretty much dead. So when Haley got a moment, she opened the day's newspaper to see what was going on in their little town. Armed with a cup of coffee, she began flipping through the pages. Lucas had just taken a seat across from her when she noticed the last thing she expected, or wanted, to see.

"Oh. Wow," she muttered, half in shock, half in disappointment.

"What?" Lucas asked, craning his neck to look at the page. "Oh."

There, right in front of them, was a large photo of Peyton and Nathan, and a long description of their history and the date their wedding would take place. It shouldn't have been a surprise, and Lucas and Haley were each too caught up in their own thoughts to notice the less-than-pleased looks on each others' faces.

"This is...I wasn't expecting to see a wedding announcement," Haley said after a moment.

"Yeah," Lucas muttered. "But I guess that's what happens when a couple's getting married, right?"

He hid the spite in his voice well, but he was breaking on the inside. He'd really thought Peyton and he would have a chance - a real chance - as soon as she broke it off with Nathan. That was clearly not going to happen.

"I guess so," Haley said, laughing nervously. "You want to close up early? Let's do something."

"Like what?" he asked with a smile.

He was going to make it work with Haley. He decided that second. He and Peyton couldn't get it together, and it was clear that fate had a hand in whatever was going on. They weren't meant to be. It was a fling. A one (OK, two) time thing that meant little or nothing. Haley deserved better and he'd give her better.

"Why don't I get my guitar, and you can grab your basketball, and we can hang out at the River Court like we used to," she said with a nostalgic smile.

She wasn't going to let Nathan Scott get in the way of her happiness. He could have his big church wedding to the blonde cheerleader. She had Lucas, and that was enough for her. He had always been enough for her.

"That sounds perfect," he nodded. He leaned across the counter to kiss her, and it felt like a promise. Like they'd both vowed that it would work out.

They closed up the café after the last customer had left, and stopped by their house before heading to the River Court.

It was exactly like they used to do when they'd first gotten together. She'd sit on the grass or atop the picnic table and strum pretty melodies while he shot the ball lazily, smiling when he heard her voice, or when she'd play a song they both knew he loved. And, just like they used to do, he went and sat behind her with his knees on either side of her and watched her lovingly as her nimble fingers played the instrument. It was their own little world.

They were each trying to convince themselves that it was perfect.

----

Peyton and Nathan had been juggling three phones all day long. Their home phone and both their cells were ringing off the hook. After about the fiftieth call they received, Peyton looked at Nathan questioningly as he spoke to the person on the other end.

"So, turns out that not only did my psycho, overbearing parents run this thing in the Tree Hill paper, but they also released it to a news wire," he informed her after he'd hung up. "Which means..."

"That every news paper on the continent now has the choice to run it if they wish," she finished, shaking her head. "You know, I _hate_ your parents right now."

"So do I," he mumbled. "I'm sorry, Peyton. I know we haven't even talked about the wedding or anything, and...This is just so messed up."

Even saying the word 'wedding' was hard for him to do. He had no idea how he'd actually go through with it if he had to.

The phone rang again, and Peyton raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, letting him know that she wasn't about to answer it.

"Hi...Yeah, hi Coach...No, it was kind of...well, yes, we're engaged...no, of course...Yeah, if there's a honeymoon, I'll definitely keep up my workout schedule...Sure thing...Thanks Coach...Bye." Nathan hung up the phone and took a deep breath before looking at Peyton again. "Coach says congrats."

"Great," she said, rolling her eyes. "I hate this!"

"I know, babe. I'm sorry," he insisted softly, walking towards where she was sitting, perched on the countertop. "I'm sorry this is such a fiasco."

"Let's make a break for it," she said as his hands rest on her thighs.

"What?" he asked with a smirk.

He loved this side of her; the rebellious girl who challenged authority. It was definitely sexy, especially that sneaky grin and that sparkle in her eye that she always got when she was hatching a plan.

"Let's get _out_ of here, Nate," she pleaded. "Turn off our phones, unplug the home phone. I just want to not be around this...this frenzy right now."

"Where do you want to go?" he asked, running his hands up and down her thighs.

"Anywhere we can just be anonymous," she said, resting her hands on his cheeks. "I mean, I know_ Nathan Scott_ can never _really_ be anonymous, but..."

"Shut up," he laughed. "Let's do it. Come on. We can take your old beater car and just drive around."

"Don't call my car a beater!" she cried as he picked her up off the counter and set her on her feet. "You never seemed to complain in high school."

"That's because it has a big back seat," he growled into her ear as he pulled her body flush to his.

"You are such a perv," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"You never seemed to complain in high school," he smirked.

She leaned in to kiss him, and he wondered when the last time was that they were like this. This was how they used to be. Playful and fun and flirty, but loving and considerate. He wondered if the strain of his season and the travel had just changed their relationship briefly, but if they could get back to where they were before, when neither of them could picture a future with anyone else.

After a brief playful argument, which included empty threats and some light tickling, Peyton convinced Nathan to let her drive. He helped her push the convertible top down and, as part of the deal, if she got to drive, he got to choose the music. That had scared her at first, but he'd actually chosen something they both liked, much to her surprise.

They drove through the town, past the high school with his jersey number still painted on that blue stone on the front lawn. They drove to the outskirts of town, past the sign boasting Tree Hill as _'The Home of Nathan Scott'_, and onto back roads they used to travel as teenagers, just trying to get away from their parents and the pressures of being in the popular crowd. They'd drive those back roads and talk about their relationship or their dreams, and they'd hold hands or she'd rest her head on his shoulder.

It felt completely normal for her to be driving with her left hand clutching the wheel and her right hand tucked firmly in his, looking over at him and smiling when he said something sweet. And Nathan felt like watching her driving with a smile on her face as her hair blew in the wind...well, he just didn't know if he'd be OK with not seeing that ever again.

But when they drove past that old park with that old court, and saw the couple laughing on the picnic table, guitar resting on the table while that blonde man's arms wrapped around that brunette as he buried his face in her neck, no doubt whispering sweet things as he kissed her, everything changed. Peyton felt it, and Nathan did, too.

Lucas was happy with Haley. Haley was happy with Lucas.

Lucas and Haley both saw that car pass. That old convertible with the top down and those blonde curls blowing, and Nathan smiling in the passenger seat. That was all the proof either of them needed that they were going to stay together.

----

That coming Monday, Lucas was in his office at the school, working away. Really, he was hiding. He'd driven with Haley to school to be with her, and he knew it was the one place where he had no chance of running in to or seeing Peyton and Nathan. He knew that it was no use ignoring her, since she was always in his head, and he was thinking about her constantly, but seeing her with another man would have just been torture, and he certainly didn't need that.

He had his laptop open, working on an idea and typing feverishly. He was off in his own little world like he always was when he wrote. It was for that reason that he didn't notice anyone in his office until he heard the door close.

He looked up from his work just long enough to see who it was, before fixing his eyes on the screen again.

"Congratulations," he said, deadpan. He wasn't typing anything coherent anymore, just pressing keys for the sake of looking preoccupied.

"Lucas..."

"Nice photo, by the way. Really shows how great your relationship is," he said sarcastically.

"Kind of like your little scene in the park yesterday," she said, crossing her arms. "Are you even gonna look at me?"

"What do you want me to say, Peyton?" he said dejectedly before raising his eyes and meeting hers. He regretted it immediately, knowing that she would be just as captivating as always. "Go home to your fiancée."

He'd said it solely to see what her reaction would be, and the one she gave him made his blood boil.

"I will. Clearly, I'm wasting my time here," she said, dropping her arms to her sides and reaching for the doorknob.

"You're still gonna marry him?" he asked angrily.

"You're still with Haley!" she shouted back, turning to look at him again.

"Well, I was going to talk to her, but your full page publicity stunt made me think twice!" he cried.

"That had _nothing_ to do with me. That was Deb and Dan. I mean, not that it matters since you have already made up your mind," she said spitefully. "I really never thought you'd make me feel like this."

"Like what?" he asked, rearing his head back. He was still seated at his desk, though all he wanted to do was walk to her and take her in his arms.

"Like a mistress who's always waiting for something that's never going to happen," she admitted quietly.

"Peyton...God, that's not what I'm trying to do," he said, standing from his spot and walking around the desk. "You're still with Nathan, too."

"I'm with him because we spent all day yesterday doing damage control, and I was too exhausted to have an argument with him and get kicked out of the house!" she cried.

"So once you're rested, you'll break off your engagement?" he asked angrily.

She threw her head back in frustration, inwardly thinking that he and his brother were equally as stubborn during arguments, not that she'd dare point that out now.

"God, Lucas. This is so fucked up. There is _nothing_ normal or easy about this!"

"I think you marrying Nathan is a pretty fucking easy way out, Peyton," he seethed, watching as she laughed sardonically.

"Says the guy who's pretending to be in love with his best friend because he can't have anyone else," she spat back.

She didn't mean it, she was just angry and said the first thing that came to mind. She watched as he set his jaw and his eyes darkened in either lust or anger. Maybe both.

"You think I can't have you?" he asked after a moment of just staring at each other. "Is that what you think?"

He walked to her and pinned her to the wall behind her, pressing his body against hers. She let out a quick breath and closed her eyes, as if waiting for him to just kiss her already. They both knew she wanted it.

"Lucas..." she whimpered, giving him a glimpse of those green eyes he so loved.

"You ready to admit it?" he growled, his lips only inches away from hers.

"What?" she asked, annoyed that he wasn't touching her more or kissing her, and opting instead to question her.

"Tell me I can have you," he insisted in a low voice.

Their gaze locked, and she knew both of them had sadness in their eyes, wondering what could have been if they'd figured all this out sooner. She wouldn't still be with Nathan. He wouldn't be with Haley, maintaining their relationship so he wouldn't lose his best friend; only half-invested in a relationship he knew wasn't 'it' for him.

"You have me," she whispered.

He kissed her hungrily, then, and she moaned against his lips when his hips pressed against hers. No one could make her feel like he could. He was only the second man she'd ever been with, and she wasn't sure how she'd gone without him for so long.

"This is so wrong," he mumbled between the kisses he was peppering to her collar bone, as his hands pushed her skirt up.

Her hands worked on his belt and the zipper of his pants, and she pushed the tee shirt up over his head frantically. He reached over to lock the door and make sure the blinds were closed tightly

This wasn't love making. This wasn't slow and careful and attentive. This was need. This was a physical ache to be together that neither could ignore. It was just the two of them, and it felt fucking good.

"God, Peyton..."

"Stop thinking, baby," she muttered, taking his face in her hands. She saw him smile at the familiarity of those words just before she kissed him again. That term of endearment just made him want her more, though he didn't think it was possible.

He didn't say anything more, and she didn't ask or expect him to. He just stepped out of his pants as he led her to the desk, and pushed her skirt up as he sat her down. It was so unlike him to do something as brazen as having sex in his office - while his girlfriend was in the same building, no less. He wasn't sure he'd ever needed anything as badly as he needed her, then and there.

----

Haley's classes were over for the day, but the work she'd usually take home to do, she decided to do in her classroom. She just needed the quiet of the empty school to surround her as she graded her papers and entered the marks. She'd told Lucas she was going to be late, and he'd insisted it was alright.

She was just reading one students' character assessments for _Brave New World_, when she heard someone shuffling down the hallway. She thought nothing of it, since she wasn't the only teacher who liked to stay late every once in a while. But then she saw, in her periphery, a figure stop in the doorway and she knew exactly who it was. If it was possible, she sensed him, and she could smell that cologne she loved.

"You didn't break up with him," he said from his place in the doorway.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, a hint of surprise and bitterness in her tone. She didn't move from her seat, but he stepped into the room anyway.

"You didn't break up with him," he repeated.

"You're still with Peyton. I just saw your fucking wedding announcement in the paper!" she seethed.

"Did you just swear?" he asked with a smirk.

She wanted to smile, she really did. But she was too busy being mad at him to smile.

"Nathan, how can you do that? How can you _marry_ her?" she asked desperately as she shook her head.

"You didn't break up with him," he said again, accenting every word, because that statement was the answer to her question, and he needed her to know that.

"This is so pointless," she said, defeated. "You and I are...we're the worst match in history. I'm just..."

"The worst match?" he asked angrily. "That's a lie, and you know it, Haley!"

"What do you want me to say? You want me to say that I'll just give up my entire life to be with you?" she asked, shrugging her shoulders.

He just laughed and shook his head, avoiding eye contact.

"Yes, Haley, that _is _what I want," he said seriously, before his tone turned sarcastic. "But I wouldn't want you to give up your completely miserable relationship for something that might actually make you _feel_ something."

"Get out," she insisted, pointing to the door. He didn't budge, he just crossed his arms over his chest and stood his ground. "Get out, Nathan."

"I'm not going anywhere," he said stoically.

"Well, then I hope you like being ignored," she said, rustling her papers and returning to the work she'd been doing before he came in.

He sat on the desk directly across from hers, much like he'd done that first day they met, and he watched her. Five minutes of complete silence, with him just staring at her, and her grading papers in front of him, doing her best to pretend he wasn't there.

He got up and pushed the door closed before walking towards her. She tried to act like she didn't see him, but when he walked behind her chair and leaned down to press a kiss to the space right below her ear that he was well aware was her favourite spot, she took an audible breath before she could stop herself.

"Try to ignore me, Hales," he whispered, running his hand down the side of her neck and over her shoulder as he continued placing kisses on her jaw line.

"Nathan," she muttered.

"Like fighting a losing battle, isn't it?" he said, nipping at her earlobe.

She pulled away from him and stood, closing her eyes and using every ounce of restraint not to just jump into his arms.

"You can't do this," she insisted quietly. "You can't just kiss me and then go marry her."

"But you can sleep with me, then go back to him?" he asked.

"What did you want me to do?" she asked, throwing her hands up in frustration.

"I wanted you to tell me that you broke up with him and I want you to _be_ with me, Haley!"

"You're marrying someone else," she pointed out quietly, looking to the floor.

"Because I didn't think I could have _you_," he insisted, stepping towards her and placing his hands on her arms.

"I didn't know if you and I were...anything. Just a fling? Or more than that," she said urgently, looking into his eyes. "I couldn't give him up for that. I can't."

"What if I say that I see myself falling in love with you?" he said softly, looking down at their hands as he wove his fingers in with hers.

"You...what?" she asked, shocked at his admission. "Nathan, I..."

"Haley...just...believe that," he said in an insistent whisper, letting his eyes meet hers as he said the words.

He watched as the tear that was dancing at the edge of her left eye fell, and he didn't hesitate to wipe it gently off her cheek.

"I don't know what to do now," she said softly, letting herself fall into his embrace.

"Yes you do," he insisted quietly as his hand rubbed slow circles on her back. "We both do."

She knew he was right.


	10. Chapter 10

Haley had never been happier to come home to an empty house. She was thankful that Lucas was still at Karen's, and she would have hated herself for thinking that if she didn't just need time. She still kind of hated herself for it, but she realized a few things quickly.

She was mourning the loss of her relationship before it was even over, and it may have been wrong to do so, but it didn't matter. She just needed to be alone and think about everything that was going to happen. But the more she thought, the more she found that she really had no clue what was going to happen. She didn't _want_ to lose Lucas, but she _needed_ to be with Nathan. She was torn. But love was pulling her one way, and comfort was pulling her the other. Ever since Nathan basically told her he would love her if she let him, everything snapped into focus. She knew she had to follow that potential.

That only made it marginally easier to think about losing her best friend. The last thing she wanted was to not have Lucas in her life, and though they'd made a promise, she wasn't sure how much that stood for anymore.

She remembered back to the beginning of their relationship, when they realized that they had just fallen so easily into things. They'd spent hours talking about the what ifs, and 'what if we break up' had never even been discussed. It was never even thought that they'd break up. They thought it was forever. They thought it was everything they needed it to be.

She hoped he didn't still feel that way. Something told her he didn't.

She stood in the living room of the home they shared, and looked at the photographs of them in various stages of their relationship. As mere children, completely unaware of what the future held for them. Teenagers, barely aware of their own emotions, let alone those of others. Young adults, clad in college sweaters, drinking coffee in the kitchen of his mothers' home, reading from thick textbooks. And various snapshots of them as a couple, looking as in love as they could be.

And they were. They were as in love as they could be. Just not as in love as they could be with other people. She was convinced of that, and she was trying to think of ways to explain that to him without sounding contrite and condescending.

She'd decided, along the way, that she wouldn't tell him about Nathan. It would only hurt him more, and she wouldn't do that to him. It may have been wrong, but she truly felt that what he didn't know, wouldn't hurt him, and that there was no way he'd ever find out unless she or Nathan told him. Since he and Nathan didn't even speak, she knew it wouldn't be an issue.

And so, after an hour of sitting alone in the home they'd shared for so long - well, long in their short lives - she made the choice to go see him. She needed to get it over with. For herself, and for Lucas. It wasn't fair to him to drag things out longer than necessary.

She walked the distance to his mother's house slowly, listening to music as she thought of how the next words she spoke were going to change her entire life. It took her a half hour, door to door, and she took a deep breath before placing her hand on the doorknob.

----

Lucas supposed he should have felt guilty over his afternoon tryst in his office with the blonde girl he now realized he had _always_ been completely infatuated with. But he wasn't.

Because he had _always_ been completely infatuated with her. There was no in between. He realized that any time he'd ever seen her, since he was a shy 13-year-old, he'd gotten that same feeling, that same rush. His heart would race and his hands would tremble, and he wouldn't be able to take his eyes off her.

She was beautiful, even then, as a lanky girl with a scowl on her face, and a head of blonde curls. He'd see her, then, giggling with a brunette he'd come to know was Brooke Davis, and he'd smile. He'd smile because...he wasn't sure. Something about her just made him smile.

And now he smiled because she was beautiful and she cared for him and she wanted to be with him. And it all felt surreal. Too much and not enough, all at the same time. He was no one, and she was the beautiful fiancée of one of the nation's top athletes.

And she was choosing him.

And he was choosing her.

He just had to somehow broach the subject with Haley. Somehow get through to her that he wasn't the one for her, and there was someone out there for her that was better than him. But every time he thought of the words he might say, he found that he sounded absolutely foolish. They all sounded like lines; standard issue breakup speeches, used by many and believed by none. He wouldn't do that to her. He wouldn't treat her like she wasn't better than just about every other woman she'd ever met.

She was his best friend, through anything, first and foremost. She deserved more than what he was doing to her, but she also deserved more than to be in a relationship that was only one sided.

He was so lost in thought, that he didn't hear the door open.

"What's wrong?" Haley asked as soon as she stepped into the room and saw him laying there on his bed, one hand behind his head and gazing at the ceiling.

"What?" he asked, snapping his focus to her.

"You're staring off into space like you always do when you're thinking of something big. So what's wrong?" she repeated, sitting on the edge of his bed.

"Just thinking," he said vaguely.

"About?" she prodded, knowing that whatever it was, he needed to tell her.

"You and me," he admitted. He sighed deeply and looked over at her. "How we used to be."

"Like when?" she asked. "Like when we started dating, or before then."

She wondered if this was going where she thought it was, and how they could still be on the same page, even with this.

"Before then," he said softly.

"Us against the world," she said with a weak laugh, watching as a small smile broke on his lips.

That had always been the way they'd describe their relationship. It was always pretty much just the two of them, and they wouldn't have it any other way. As kids, they'd hold hands and he'd comfort her the only way he knew how when her siblings would torture her. She'd hug him when kids would tease him about his father. It was always the two of them against everything, and neither of them wanted to give that up.

"Do you ever want to go back to that?" he asked, taking her hand in his own.

She didn't know how he knew that she was feeling the exact same thing, wondering if they were better as friends, but she was thankful. This meant that just maybe they could split amicably and move on from one another without all the pain and heartache she had originally thought they'd end up with.

"Yeah," she whispered, looking down at their hands. "I just don't want to lose you."

"I _can't_ lose you, Hales," he admitted insistently. "I just don't know if I can..."

"Keep me?" she offered with a slight laugh that made him smirk.

"I don't want to hurt you and I don't want to ruin our friendship, but I just don't think this is working anymore. This...us," he said as steadily as he could.

He worried that their entire friendship would be ruined, or that he wanted to break up and she didn't. But he knew that if they stayed together for that reason alone, they'd certainly end up miserable and resenting each other, and he didn't want that either.

"It's not," she said, doing her best to keep herself from crying. "So what do we do?"

"I want to say we go back to being best friends, but for some reason, I don't think it's that easy," he admitted regrettably.

"It could be," she said, wiping her cheek with her hand. "I mean, if we make an effort."

"Haley..."

"Luke, the friendship part has always just _been_ there. Even when everything else was fading away, the friendship was there," she told him seriously.

"So you think we can just stop dating and still be best friends," he stated skeptically.

"Yes," she said adamantly. "I am making that decision right now."

"Well, thanks for making that decision for me," he teased, smiling so she'd know he was joking.

"You promised!" she cried, making him laugh.

"I did," he said seriously, punctuating his statement with a nod, coaxing a smile from her. "I love you, Haley James."

"I love you too, Lucas Scott," she whispered.

He leaned forward and pulled her into his arms, holding her against him as she cried just a little bit more. She wasn't sure what the tears were over, she was feeling so many things. And as much as she'd said they could still be friends - they _would_ still be friends - she, too, knew that it wouldn't be that easy. Not right away, at least. They couldn't just fall back into that sarcastic and candid rapport they used to have. And she was right, their friendship _had_ endured even when their romantic relationship was fading. Maybe someday they'd get back to that.

"So what now?" he asked as she pulled away from him.. "I can stay here."

"Lucas, you bought the house with your inheritance from Keith. It's _your_ house," she insisted. "There's no way you won't be living there."

"Hales..."

"No arguments. _I_ can stay with Karen if it comes to that," she said. Her tone was all school teacher, and he knew there was no arguing with her.

"Haley, do you really think we can just...be friends again?" he asked seriously.

"We have to, Lucas," she said placing her hand on his cheek. "I don't even remember a time when we weren't friends."

And she was right. He knew she was right. So he smiled at her, a weak, almost broken smile, and she pressed one last light kiss to his lips.

And that was that.

----

Peyton had seen Haley walking through the streets of their hometown. She'd never in her life been more thankful for the sedan with the tinted windows that Nathan insisted she drive.

She knew, instinctively, that Haley was on her way to Lucas' mom's house, and she knew that the girl's heart was about to be broken. She would have liked to dwell on that a little longer, but she had her own problems to deal with.

It wasn't lost on her that all their problems intertwined.

7 years. 7 years of her life, she'd spent with Nathan. He'd been everything to her for so long, and she was about to end her relationship. The only real relationship she'd ever had.

But she had to follow her heart, and the feelings she felt for Lucas when she was with him. She _needed_ him. And it had always been terrifying to her to admit that she needed anyone. Even more terrifying now. She needed a man who wasn't Nathan.

And she worried, more than anything, that she'd lose Nathan, and that was the last thing she wanted. She needed him, too, just not the way she used to. She just hoped she could explain that to him without hurting him.

But he was going to be hurt no matter what. The diamond that sat on her left hand proved it.

When she stepped into the house, it was eerily quiet. She knew he was home, but she didn't see him anywhere on the ground floor. She didn't search any more than that. She'd just wait until he heard her or woke up from his nap, or whatever else he was doing.

She wondered if that was more cowardly than anything else she'd done; not seeking him out and ending things like she knew he had to.

----

After Nathan left Haley in her classroom, he needed to sleep. He was sure he should have been rationalizing and thinking and coming up with the best words to use to tell Peyton that he didn't think they should get married. But a nap just seemed so much easier than all that.

Falling asleep wasn't so easy. He did think about Peyton and how he would be able to live his life without her. She was really all he knew. She was the one person who'd believed in him no matter what. She helped him through so much, and sacrificed so much, and he wasn't sure what he'd do when he didn't have her around.

But he knew two things. He couldn't stay in a relationship for that reason alone, and Haley would fill that role effortlessly. She almost already had.

He heard the door open and close, and he knew she was home, but he didn't know what to do just yet, so he rolled over and lay there alone just a little longer. She didn't come up the stairs, and he didn't know why, but he hadn't expected her to.

About 20 minutes later, he finally strolled down the stairs, rubbing his eyes sleepily as he watched her in the kitchen, finishing up the last of the dishes. She heard him and dried her hands on a tea towel, and smiled at him. He always looked so cute, like a little boy, just after he'd woken up.

"Hey," he said softly. "How was your day?"

"Fine," she said, as nonchalantly as she could. "You?"

"Fine," he echoed.

She turned to him and they both laughed a little at their matching responses, each knowing the other well enough to know there was more to say, but knowing that those truths would be revealed when the other was ready.

Peyton moved around the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water and one of the magazines that had come for her, and started towards the living room as she read the cover lines.

"Peyton, are you happy?" he asked abruptly, stopping her in her tracks. She turned to look at him in complete confusion.

It wasn't that she wondered why he would ask her that, it was that she wondered if she'd read her mind. Maybe she hadn't done as good a job pretending as she'd thought she had. She thought about her answer carefully. She knew, if they stayed together, she'd be unhappy and longing for someone else, and their relationship would eventually turn toxic. She certainly didn't want that. She just had to find a way to explain that it was all for the best.

"Sometimes," she said softly, her voice full of honesty that she knew he'd hear. "Are...are you?"

"Sometimes," he said with a sad smile after letting out a breathy chuckle. "Yesterday was amazing. Just getting lost with you and caught up in each other."

"Having fun without worrying about anything else," she finished, smiling at him as they both sat down on the sofa.

"Yeah," he sighed. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, bracing himself for whatever reaction was about to come from her at his next statement. "I don't think I can spend the rest of my life like that, Peyton. Only feeling that _sometimes_. I don't want to hurt you and I don't know if this seems out of the blue or whatever, but I just think that...we both know that this isn't what it should be."

He was rambling, and they both knew that he wasn't the kind of guy who rambled. She wasn't sure she'd ever felt more connected to him than she did at that moment. At least she hadn't felt that connected to him in the past year. All that remained between them was a mostly platonic love, which was what they had before they'd started dating in high school. She felt like they were on the same page for the first time in a long time. Neither was pretending or faking a smile.

"Yeah," she said softly, still in shock that he'd just said all the words she'd planned on saying. "I didn't know you felt that way."

"I'm sorry," he said, shaking his head.

"No," she insisted quickly. "Don't be sorry, Nathan. You're being honest, and if I'm being honest, I feel the same."

"Really?" he asked with a furrowed brow. "How long?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "It's been gradual, right? Like...we've just been drifting apart for a while."

"Yeah," he nodded, smiling a little bit because it was going so much better than he'd expected. There were no tears or shouting. "I just didn't want to let go because I don't want you out of my life, Peyton."

"I don't want that either. You're my best friend," she said honestly.

"You're my hottest friend," he teased, making her swat his arm as they laughed. "You're my best friend too. And I really didn't want to lose that. But I can understand if...you know, if you don't want to..."

"Nathan, I just told you I don't want to get rid of you," she said with a smile.

"I just...can't pretend," he admitted quietly as he looked to his hands.

"Your parents are going to be pissed," she pointed out.

"I'm a grown man, and this is my life. Our lives," he said, smiling as he looked over at her. She let out a breath and looked down. "This feels like..."

"An end," she said softly.

As soon as she'd said those words, she felt the tears coming. Nathan was the biggest part of her life for so long, and now she had to figure out how to live without him. Well, without being his girlfriend. She had always loved the stability of being with him, and now that was gone. Sure, it seemed as though they'd be friends, but people always said that during breakups and they rarely ever meant it. She had meant it, and she hoped he had, too.

"Come on, babe, none of that," he said, pulling her into his arms.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I...I do love you, Nathan."

"I love you, too," he insisted as he comforted her.

He wasn't sure how long they sat like that, with her crying in his arms and him doing his best to soothe her. When he shed a tear of his own, he tried to hide it and wipe it away gently, but the way her hand tightened around his let him know that she knew it had fallen. She'd seen him cry before, a few times. When they were 17 and had a pregnancy scare that left them both terrified and emotional. Her birth mother had passed away and he'd found her curled up on her bed sobbing, and he'd told her that seeing her that way broke his heart. His mother had overdosed and was in the hospital, and it was her turn to find him alone in his bedroom. But in recent years, she hadn't seen him tear up once. It broke her heart a little bit when she heard him sniffle, doing his best to be strong for her.

"This is going to be hard," she said after a while, pulling away from him and wiping her eyes.

"I know," he agreed quietly.

"I just..." she started, breaking down again.

"Peyton, baby, come on," he pleaded uselessly. The term of endearment was a habit that he was sure he couldn't break, especially with her sitting in his arms and crying.

"I'm sorry," she said, doing her best to smile. "You're just all I've really known since we were kids. You're kind of all I've had."

"I'm not going anywhere," he promised insistently. "We'll just maybe not have sex so often."

"So often?" she asked with a laugh.

"Oh come on, if you go through a dry spell, you'll be crawling back to me," he teased, watching as her jaw dropped.

"Shut up!" she cried, swatting his chest as they both laughed.

"But seriously, Peyton. I'm not going to let you be alone," he vowed, taking her hands in his again.

"Don't you think it's going to be weird?" she asked. "Us being close, but not being together?"

"No," he insisted. "I don't. Because I love you and you're important to me."

"What now?" she asked after another moment, as she let his statement sink in.

"There are 6 bedrooms in this place," he said with a shrug. "You can stay here as long as you need to. Or one of us can go to Charlotte if you think it's too weird."

She just smiled at him, and nodded, and he pulled her into his arms again, and the two of them sat together for a while, both wondering what was really going to happen next, and hoping that it would all be as easy as he'd just made it sound.

But he did love her, and he wasn't going to let her get lost out there in the world. She really was his best friend, and he'd do anything for her. He suspected she knew that. He hoped she did.

After a while, she slipped the ring off her finger, where it had sat for over a year, and took one last look at the sparkling diamond. She turned to him and offered a weak smile, and placed the ring in his palm.

It was an end.

But it was also a beginning.


	11. Chapter 11

Nathan sat on his sofa long after Peyton had left, claiming she needed time alone. He lay on his back, holding that ring between his thumb and index finger, just staring at the sparkling diamond and thinking back on his relationship with Peyton. It had been wonderful. So much more than any first love had any business being. She was his first lover, in that she gave him love, all of herself, so completely. She'd been more to him than any other woman he'd ever met.

And it was over.

But then he thought of Haley and how she made him feel about himself and his life. She gave him perspective when he needed it. He knew he'd fall in love with her. He just knew that somehow.

What struck him more than anything, perhaps, was that he might already love her.

When his phone rang in his pocket, he stood and pulled it out, placing the ring there instead.

"Hello?" he answered without looking at the caller ID.

"Nathan," Haley's voice came, small and obviously emotional.

"What's wrong?" he asked, knowing something was obviously making her upset.

"Meet me at our spot, OK?"

"Haley," he said tentatively, "are you alright?"

"Yeah," she said quickly. "Fine. Just...meet me there."

----

Haley hadn't lied when she'd told Nathan she was fine. And that was why she was crying. She'd ended an almost three year relationship - mutually, but still - and she grieved it for about a half hour before realizing that it was all for the best and there was something better out there for both of them. That she could be over it so quickly was what was making her cry.

She was already sitting on the sand when Nathan walked to her, as calmly as he could. He had news for her, and he hoped to God she had news for him. He'd ended things with Peyton, and he needed to be with Haley. He just needed her.

"Tears?" he asked as he sat next to her. "You liar, you said you were alright."

His tone was teasing and playful, with underlying concern. How he could make her laugh in that moment was a complete mystery to her.

"Luke and I...we ended things," she said softly.

He wasn't sure if he should be sorry, or thrilled. So he just didn't say anything. Apparently she picked up on his emotion.

"You can smile," she said, turning to look at him with a weak grin playing on her lips.

"I just didn't know if that made me the most selfish jerk in the world or not," he told her, making her laugh again. "Peyton and I are done."

"What?" she asked quickly, her eyes widened in shock. "Where is she? Is she OK?"

What amazed him more than anything, was that Haley wasn't asking about what it meant for the two of them, to both single and able to be together if they wanted. She was worried about someone else's emotions while she was sitting there with tear stains on her own cheeks. She was remarkable.

"She's OK. We promised to stay friends," he told her. He couldn't help himself, so he reached over and took her hand in his.

"Same with me and Luke," she said. "He brought it up - the breakup."

"Really?" Nathan asked in pure shock.

"Why is...?"

"What kind of idiot would let you get away?" he asked softly, smiling at her as he wiped her cheek.

They both probably realized that was the only time she'd ever let him get away with calling Lucas an idiot.

"I'm scared," she admitted after a few moments of silence between them.

"Of what?" he asked, running his thumb over her knuckles.

"Losing him," she said softly. "Losing you."

"Not gonna happen," he insisted, shaking his head. "Neither of those things are gonna happen."

"How do you know?" she asked. "I mean, if we get together, Lucas is going to...He won't like it."

"He'll be alright with it when he sees how happy I'm going to make you," he said confidently, making her let out a breathy laugh. "I'm serious, Haley. I'm _going_ to make you happy."

She wasn't sure she'd ever heard a more beautiful promise. What's more, was that she absolutely believed him. She had no reason to worry about him not following through on that, and she could tell by the way he was looking at her and the tone he used and the way he was holding her hand.

"Can I kiss you now?" she asked timidly.

"Hales, you don't ever have to ask permission," he said with a sly smile.

His confidence was pretty much the sexiest thing she'd ever encountered in her life. So she leaned over and pressed her lips to his gently, and then she rest her forehead against his and kept her eyes closed for a moment.

"What are we going to do now?" she inquired, pulling away from him a little.

"Hopefully a hell of a lot more of that," he growled. This girl was making him absolutely crazy. A simple peck on the lips and he was almost ready to ignore that they were in a public place.

"Nathan..."

"I know," he interrupted, though she was smiling, so he knew that she was at least a little amused. "I just want to be with you, Haley. I don't know if you need time, or if you think we both need a little time to just be single or whatever, but I..."

"That's probably the best idea, right? I mean, we should take time apart and let ourselves heal a bit," she said softly, and he just shrugged his shoulders. He really didn't know if it was the best thing. "But I just want to be with you, too."

"So what do we do?" There was a sadness in his tone that actually made her want to smile a little bit. It seemed that all he wanted was all of her, and that was maybe the best compliment she'd ever received.

"I think we need to just...lay low for a bit," she admitted regrettably. "God, people are already going to judge us enough, no matter what. I'm dating brothers."

"There's no plural on that now," he said seriously, with a raised eyebrow, making her laugh again. She didn't think she'd ever really get sick of his ability to make her laugh when she felt like all she wanted to do was cry. "So what are we?"

"We're friends," she said firmly, punctuated with a nod. "Who hang out a lot, and kiss, but only behind closed doors. And someday soon we'll be more than that."

"That sounds perfect," he said softly, smiling at her again. "One thing, though."

"What?" she asked worriedly.

"Can we do more than kiss? Behind closed doors, I mean," he inquired with that stupid smirk that she was realizing very quickly would make her go along with whatever he wanted.

She looked at him incredulously, and he just shrugged innocently. For two people who had just that day ended long-term relationships, they both seemed pretty eager to jump into something else.

"Is this going to be a problem?" she inquired with a raised brow.

"What?" he asked with a laugh. "Can you really blame me for wanting you?"

"Oh, you are going to get me into so much trouble, Nathan Scott," she said, shaking her head.

"That's the plan," he growled, making her laugh. "We need to find a closed door, like, now."

She took his face in her hands and looked him in the eyes before she kissed him heatedly. There was no one around, and she wasn't even sure anyone else knew about their hidden little spot on the beach. And really? She was starting to think that her plan to wait a while before they became an 'official' couple seemed like the worst idea in the world.

"Trouble," she muttered when they parted.

----

Lucas wasn't sure what compelled him to go to the high school gym, but that's where he ended up. The school was closed, and there was absolutely no one around. Maybe that's what drew him to the space to begin with.

As soon as he stepped onto the court with the ball in his hands, he remembered Peyton's words from so long ago._ 'It's your gym now.' _She'd already helped him so much, and he really had to hope, no matter how selfish it was, that she and Nathan would break up. It was horrible, and it made him horrible, but he didn't care.

He was already falling for her, and he just couldn't even picture a future that didn't include her. Somewhere down the line, they'd have a small wedding and blonde babies and a happy life together. He shouldn't have been thinking it, but he was.

He didn't know how long he'd been there, playing basketball alone, but he was sweating and he'd discarded his tee shirt on the bleachers, and he was just letting himself get lost in the game like he always needed to do to heal himself.

He didn't hear anyone come into the gym, but the heavy metal door slammed behind her, and his attention was drawn to her, walking towards him.

"I broke up with Haley," he blurted out as soon she was close enough to hear. He noticed the dazed, glazed over look on her face, and he immediately started to panic. "What's wrong?"

"Nathan broke up with me," she said, still in shock.

It would have been an easier conversation to have if he hadn't been shirtless and sweating, and obviously she hadn't expected that. He looked amazing, and it was all she could do to keep herself from abandoning whatever conversation she supposed they should be having, and doing something else completely.

"What?" He wasn't expecting to hear her say that. He'd thought maybe she'd tell him she hadn't done it yet, or that she had been the one to do the breaking up. He was more than a little surprised to hear that Nathan had initiated the split.

"Yeah," she sighed, sitting herself down on the bleachers.

She wasn't giving him much to go on. She looked like she'd seen a ghost, and she wasn't offering any details about her conversation with Nathan. Had it gone well? Was she hurting more than she thought she would? He could see the tear stains on her cheeks and her red, puffy eyes, but he didn't really know what any of that meant; what kind of tears she'd cried

"Are you...OK with that?" he asked tentatively, looking to the floor as he sat next to her.

"Yeah," she answered quickly, looking over at him. "I just kind of realized that...you know, I don't really have anything."

"What...?"

"I don't have a job, Lucas. Or a place to live. Or...anything," she said, her voice breaking as she began to cry again.

"Hey," he said, making her turn to him again. He reached out and placed his hand on her cheek. "You have me."

"Lucas..."

"Peyton, you have me," he repeated with a smile, making her grin just a little bit. "In whatever way you need me."

"What does that mean?" she asked weakly as he wiped her cheeks.

"It means that I understand if you need time," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "I'm not going anywhere."

Something about that sentence made it sound like the most amazing thing she'd ever heard. Nathan had said the very same thing just hours earlier, and still, this felt like so much more.

"I don't know what to do now," she admitted. "I need to...I don't even know what I need. Nathan said I could stay at the beach house in one of the spare rooms, but.."

"Excuse me?" Lucas said with a furrowed brow. "You're going to stay in the same house as him?"

"I don't have anywhere to go, Luke!" she reminded him. "It's there, or the house in Charlotte."

He wished he could have her stay with him. Not even as his girlfriend or whatever it was that they were, but as a friend because she needed a place to stay, and she needed support. He realized that she really wasn't exaggerating in that she didn't have anything. And yeah, that would have meant that he could be with her behind closed doors without anyone judging them. He really didn't want her to stay with Nathan, but he also didn't want her to be hours away in Charlotte, either.

"So what are you gonna do?" he asked quietly.

"I have no idea," she said, sniffling again to try to keep herself composed. It didn't work.

He didn't care that he was still shirtless, and still sweaty. He pulled her into his arms, and her hands found his back. He felt her tears fall onto his bare shoulder, and that may have been the most absolutely heartbreaking thing he'd ever experienced.

"You broke up with Haley?" she asked, pulling away from him and wiping her eyes. There was a hopeful tone in her voice that she didn't even try to hide.

"Yeah," he whispered. "It was actually a mutual thing."

"Really?" she asked, surprised to hear that bit of news.

"Why does that shock you?" he asked with a smirk.

"No reason! It's just...well, you're pretty damn sexy," she said, letting her eyes roam over his bare torso.

"Peyton Sawyer, you are gonna be the death of me," he muttered, making her laugh.

"I wish we could just fast forward all this stuff and be together," she admitted after a few moments, shaking her head as she looked to the floor again. "I just want to be with you."

He was a writer, and he'd read more books than he could even list or remember, and he'd never, ever in his life, heard or read a more perfectly structured statement. This beautiful woman, who he was almost entirely certain he'd marry someday, was telling him that she didn't want to be apart from him. There was nothing better than that.

"So what now?" he asked, weaving his fingers through hers, gazing down at their intertwined hands.

"I think I do need some time to get myself figured out," she said, almost regrettably. "I need to find a job or figure out what I'm going to do with my life and who I am if I'm not his fiancé, you know?"

"Yeah, I know," he said with a nod. He did understand. He just wished things were just a little bit different.

"I just don't want to not be with you," she said. "I mean, if that makes sense."

"It does," he assured her. "So, we wait?"

"We wait," she confirmed, looking in his eyes. "But we can still hang out and get to know each other and stuff. I mean, get to know each other better."

"And make out," he added seriously. "At least."

"Lucas!" she squealed, swatting his leg as he laughed.

"What?" he asked, a boyish look on his face. "Come on, we couldn't resist each other before, how are we gonna do it now that we're both single?"

He certainly raised a good point. She didn't want to think of all the scrutiny she'd come under for her broken engagement, or whatever moves she made next. She knew that the best idea was to hide out in Tree Hill and just lay low, and she wasn't sure if Lucas fit into that immediate plan or not. The only thing she knew was that she couldn't live without him now, and whatever role he was playing, she'd let him.

And not to mention, she really, really wanted to kiss him.

So she did.

She leaned forward without warning and pressed her lips to his, taking him by surprise and making him let out a sound from low in his throat before he reciprocated. His hand found her cheek and his other fell to her thigh, and her palm was flat on his bare chest, feeling his heart as it raced.

When they pulled away, she smiled, knowing that her heart was beating just as fast as his was.

"Point proven," he mumbled before pecking her lips again. She let out a laugh that was music to his ears, and he just sighed.

"Nathan can't find out about any of this," she said after a few moments. "Not about the stuff that's happened already."

"I know," he said, nodding his head.

"I mean, you guys have a chance to build a relationship, and I don't want to get in the way of that, and really, I might be able to help. I just..."

He cut her off with a kiss because, well, he wanted to. He loved that she was so concerned about his non-existent relationship with his brother. That she'd help him bridge the gap between he and Nathan after she'd just ended her 7 year relationship with the man, was absolutely the most selfless thing he'd ever heard of.

"I understand," he muttered after they'd parted. "I know it's already all so complicated."

"Yeah," she sighed. "I'm sorry."

"What?" he asked in surprise. "What for?"

"For everything being such a disaster," she said, shaking her head. "I know it's not all my fault but...I don't know. I just hate that you've been dragged into all this."

"Baby, I came into this willingly," he insisted with a smirk, making her let out a soft laugh as she rest her forehead against his again.

"So...someday?" she asked, knowing that he would know she was referring to their relationship.

"Someday," he confirmed. "Hopefully soon."

She just nodded, because that was exactly what she was hoping for, too.


	12. Chapter 12

The first month was the hardest. Peyton had moved, temporarily, at least, into her father's new house while he was on a job somewhere off the coast of Canada. She'd moved all her things and dealt with any press that somehow caught up with her. The fallout, for her, had been minimal, but she knew the same couldn't be said for Nathan.

The beginning had been hard on their friendship. They didn't know how to be together, but not be together. They wouldn't return each other's calls, and when they did, there was hesitation or downright avoidance on the other end of the line. It wasn't until she confronted him at the beach house, showing him flashes of 'Scary Peyton', as he'd dubbed it years earlier, and insisting that it was only weird between them because they were avoiding each other.

After that, they met up at least twice a week to talk or hang out. They still spoke candidly about their lives, and so she knew that he'd had to deal with a lot of questions about his relationship. His answer was always the same, that he'd focus on basketball and keep his personal life as private as possible.

Deb and Dan had given them both speeches, wondering if they couldn't just work it out, and wouldn't it just be easier to be together, and why couldn't they just try to make it work. They didn't understand, and Nathan and Peyton knew that, but they stuck to their guns, since they both knew that their decision had been the best one. To be honest, they were better as friends.

Nathan knew about Peyton's friendship with Lucas, and he didn't judge her about that whatsoever. He told her he'd been talking to Haley, and while she was surprised to hear that, she knew that Haley was a great person, and that Nathan could use someone like her.

He'd ask her questions about Lucas, curious to know details about his brother. Still, she was surprised the day he told her to say 'hi' to Lucas for him. Even more surprised the day he asked her if she thought that Lucas would ever want to get to know him, too. She wasn't sure where the sudden interest was coming from, but she was sure Haley had a little to do with it, and that growing up had a lot to do with it.

It was almost two months after her breakup, and she was sitting on the sofa in the little house her father owned, and listening to music while she read a magazine. Lucas walked through the door without knocking - he never did - and he spoke without her even looking up from her magazine. She knew who was there, and she was used to him just walking in. She kind of loved that they were that comfortable with each other.

"Get up," he demanded, holding out his hand for her to take.

"What?" she asked incredulously, dropping her magazine in her lap.

"Get up!"

"Luke, what are you doing?" she asked, placing her hand in his.

Their relationship had been mostly friendship, which was exactly what they both needed, they quickly learned. They did each need that time to be 'single' to sort themselves out. That's not to say there weren't stolen kisses and heated moments and comments that, if heard by others, would lead people to believe that they were more than just friends. But they hadn't done much more than kiss, and they certainly hadn't slept together. The tension was thick, but they didn't want to rush or ruin anything. And really? They both knew that tension would only mean that it would all be worth the wait.

"Do you trust me?" he inquired, stopping before he opened the door, and placing his hands on her hips. Her shirt had ridden up a little bit, and his thumbs on her bare skin was having the same effect on both of them.

"Or course, I do," she said softly. "But I hate surprises."

"Come on, Blondie," he said, moving away from her and to open the door.

Before he could even turn the doorknob, she'd grabbed his wrist and pulled him back to her, looking at him with a smirk before she leaned up on her toes and kissed him.

He took a deep breath with his eyes closed, and then opened the door while she laughed at him. She knew that he was getting more and more anxious every time she kissed him, and she couldn't say she didn't feel the same.

They walked to the car and she took her place on the passenger side. He'd dubbed it her seat, and she laughed at him, but she secretly thought it was adorable. They drove through town listening to their mutual current favourite album, until he pulled up to what looked like an old abandoned warehouse.

"What's this place?" she asked as he led her up the steps and through the doors.

There was an abundance of clutter in the large space; old tables and chairs, and dusty boxes of unknown items.

"My mom owns it," he said simply. "And I talked to her, and she wants you to use it to open the club."

"What!?" she asked with wide eyes, turning back to him.

She'd had dinner at the café the week before with Lucas and Karen, and she'd talked business with the older woman, explaining her dream to open a great music venue and club in Tree Hill. Karen had listened intently to the plans, and had known immediately that the club would be a success. She'd gone to Lucas a couple days later, and the way he smiled when she mentioned helping Peyton, had let her known that she'd made the right choice in offering the space.

"She thinks you should open your club, Peyton. We want you to do it," he explained.

She didn't say anything else, just ran back towards him and jumped into his arms, making him laugh as he steadied himself and wrapped his arms around her waist. He was about to make a sarcastic comment, when she pulled away and kissed him heatedly. She let her hands run through his hair, and his slipped beneath the fabric of her shirt at the small of her back.

"I'm ready," she whispered when they'd parted.

His eyes shot open, and stared into hers, as he tried to decode what that statement meant. He had a pretty good idea.

They'd come a long way, both separately and together, in two months. At first, it had been a little tentative, with both of them completely unsure of how it was all going to work. They didn't want to rush anything, so they'd meet on neutral ground; the River Court or the café. They'd stroll along the beach and talk. After that first day in the gym when they had both just ended their respective relationships, they didn't even kiss until two weeks later.

She got to know his mother fairly well, and the two of them got along better than he'd expected. Karen thought of Haley as a daughter and had been seriously upset when she learned that her son and Haley had broken up. But she saw the way he looked at Peyton, and the way Peyton looked at him, and she knew that this blossoming relationship had something that his and Haley's never had. She didn't question it. She'd always trusted her son's judgement, and she genuinely adored Peyton.

He and Haley had seamlessly, surprisingly, fallen back into their friendship, almost as though their romantic relationship never happened. It didn't make either of them sad or upset to realize that, they just knew it was the truth. She knew he was hanging out with Peyton, and he knew she was hanging out with Nathan, and neither was bothered by either of those things.

Haley told Lucas about the questions Nathan asked about him, and he promised her that someday, maybe soon, he and Nathan would have a conversation. He didn't really know how his brother would feel once he and Peyton really started their relationship.

And so when Peyton said those words, breathlessly with her mouth just inches away from his, he had to question what they meant, just to be sure.

"What...?"

"I'm ready for us, Lucas," she assured him, seriously. "I don't want to wait any more. I want us to be together."

He was so damn happy, that he didn't think he could smile wide enough. He wanted to tell her that he loved her - because he so obviously did - but he didn't want to scare her or make her change her mind, so he just kissed her again and he felt her smile against his lips.

"So you're ready, too?" she asked with a giggle once they'd parted.

"Baby, I've always been ready," he muttered, moving his lips to her neck.

She would have laughed at him and made fun of him for that statement if she didn't know that he was completely serious.

She murmured in his ear that it would be a good time to take her to his house, and she didn't think she'd ever seen him move so fast. If he hadn't been holding her hand so tightly and pulling her along with him, she would have had to run to catch up with him.

Somewhere in those two months, she had completely fallen in love with him in a way that she hadn't entirely expected. She would have told him that if she didn't think it was too soon. They were already taking one huge step in their relationship that day, and they didn't need another one.

But that didn't stop either of them from feeling it.

----

"Nathan!" Haley called as she stepped into his home.

"Kitchen!" he shouted.

She made her way down the hall and into the spacious kitchen that she'd grown to love. She knew her way around his house in Charlotte, since she'd spent so much time there in the month and a half prior. He'd split his time between Tree Hill and Charlotte, and she'd visit him no matter where he was. Since she had the summer off, she could spend a week here or there with him.

At first, it was coffee in public places, or dinner at his beach house or her new home in Tree Hill. She'd bought a small house for herself, which he actually adored. It felt like her, and he loved to just sit and talk with her on her sofa. He'd helped her move her things, and did the things he'd deemed 'manly', making her laugh at him, wielding a monkey wrench, though he had absolutely no clue how to use it. He'd eventually just called the plumber, and she could only smile at him. He was already taking care of her.

Their visits eventually went from a few hours together, to overnight stays. She visited him in Charlotte for a weekend, and they'd both insisted that she sleep in one of the spare rooms - her, because she didn't want to rush things, and him, because he didn't trust himself with her laying next to him. That lasted only a couple hours before she snuck into his room in the middle of the night, not that he complained.

He came to think of it as 'their' room, though she wasn't there every night, and they still weren't really a proper couple, and they were only ever together behind closed doors, just as they'd agreed to.

He didn't tell her, but he was growing just a little impatient with her need to keep everything quiet and take everything so slow. They still hadn't slept together, though they'd done just about everything else, and he was thankful for at least that. But he just wanted to be with her in every way that that implied.

He was in love with her, and it hadn't taken him that long to realize it.

The media flurry hadn't been easy on him, and that's why he'd gone to Charlotte so soon after he and Peyton broke up. He wanted to face everything head on and deal with the inevitable questions before the speculation and rumors set in. He didn't want to be made a mockery of, and so he answered all the questions with as much dignity as possible, and as much respect for Peyton as he possibly could.

He was happy that he and Peyton were still close, just as they'd promised. He didn't find it odd that she was hanging out with Lucas, and she didn't find it odd that he was hanging out with Haley - a little surprising, maybe, but not odd. He didn't tell her that he and Haley's relationship was much, much more than a simple friendship; she didn't need to know that yet.

"What's up?" he asked when he saw her walk into the room.

She had her hair pulled up just like he always loved, with a pair of jeans and a blue tank top. She was all simplicity, and he loved that about her.

"I ran into your mom at the coffee shop on my way out of town," she admitted. She'd stewed about it the entire drive to his place. Two hours, wondering whether or not she should mention anything to him.

"Oh," he muttered. "Really?"

Dan and Deb had let themselves into his beach house one time while he and Haley were enjoying a glass of wine together, and had immediately started asking questions. Deb was smitten with the girl, and had given Nathan that look, letting him know that she approved. Dan had raised a questioning eyebrow, which Nathan knew meant that he was asking what the budding relationship meant for his image.

Nathan didn't really care what either of them thought, if he was being honest.

"Yeah," she said, stealing a piece of lettuce off his plate. "She asked if you and I had made it official yet."

"What?" he asked, nearly choking on his water.

"She said she could tell we weren't just friends," she explained. "And she asked if you had finally made your move."

"Oh, if she only knew," he mumbled, wiggling his eyebrows and making her shake her head. "What'd you say to that?"

"I told her I didn't know what you were waiting for," she said with a smirk.

"Wha...?" he stuttered. "Haley, I've been waiting for you."

He just looked at her like she was crazy for not realizing that. He had wanted to make it official since day one, but he'd held off on pressuring her, really, because he didn't want her to be uncomfortable. They'd mutually decided that they needed time to figure things out, but they'd pretty much been together anyway, just without a label on it.

"I've been right here," she countered coyly, resting her chin in her hand and her elbow on the counter.

She'd pretty much realized right away that she was completely over Lucas and didn't necessarily need the time she'd said they should take. She wouldn't have slept in Nathan's bed with him if she didn't know that they were going to be together for good. She did something with Nathan that she never really did with Lucas - she mapped out a future in her head. It included basketball and music and a wedding and babies. It was scary that she let herself think those things, but she didn't care, because in the conversations she'd had with him, she got the feeling that that was the direction they were headed in.

She was pretty sure she'd fallen in love with him that night on the beach when he'd vowed to make her happy.

Lucas had questioned her about how her friendship with Nathan came about, and so she told him the truth. Well, most of the truth. She'd told him only about the innocent friendship and conversations. He'd given her similar details about his relationship with Peyton, and she'd promptly made fun of him for starting a 'friendship' with the girl he had been infatuated with in high school. He hadn't confirmed any of her suspicions, not verbally, anyway, but the blush on his cheeks told her all that she needed to know.

She had a long one on one conversation with Karen, asking her opinion on Nathan and her relationship with him, wondering if Lucas would be upset with her if she did date Nathan. Of course, she had every intention of doing that very thing, but she still wanted an outside opinion nonetheless. Karen had simply smiled and assured Haley that Lucas loved her and only wanted her to be happy.

And so there she stood, with Nathan across from her, separated by a granite countertop, letting him know in no uncertain terms that she wanted to just be with him already.

"Why didn't you say something?" he asked with a furrowed brow, a little surprised at her confession.

"I didn't really expect you to take so long," she said with a shrug. "You're Nathan Scott."

The way she said his name made him have to take a deep breath, something that didn't go unnoticed by her. He quickly abandoned his food and walked around the counter, taking her in his arms and pulling her against him.

"Well?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Miss James, I'm going to marry you someday." He said it like a promise, which was exactly how he meant it, and exactly how he wanted her to hear it.

She really wanted to tell him to get serious, but she knew that he _was_ being serious. And really? That kind of confident statement was exactly what she loved about him. He didn't hide himself or his heart, and he was just telling her what he knew. She was so thrilled and relieved that he was thinking the same way about the two of them that she was.

"Nathan," she muttered just before he could kiss her, "let's go upstairs."

He gladly granted her request.


	13. Chapter 13

Lucas and Peyton spent the better part of the next week holed up in his house - in his bedroom, more specifically - only leaving to get food or for her to get clean clothes, which he'd insisted that she didn't really need. He was kind of right. They'd taken an evening and had dinner with Karen, and the woman had beamed when they filled her in on what she had dubbed the 'new development', and insisted that she'd seen it coming for ages.

They were each holding in the three words they both desperately wanted to say. Of course, neither had any idea the other felt that way. Peyton worried that it was too soon and that she'd end up scaring him away. Deep down, she had a feeling that wasn't possible. She believed that he'd really meant it, that day in the gym, when he told her he wasn't going anywhere. He certainly hadn't given her any indication that he was going to leave.

She supposed that should have scared her; that promise of forever. But she found herself smiling every time she thought about it. About him. He'd catch her smirking and staring off into space, and when he'd ask what she was thinking of, and she said she was thinking of him, he'd pepper her with kisses. Those little actions only made her fall harder.

It had been on the tip of Lucas' tongue all week, and a couple times, he actually opened his mouth to say the words, but when he stopped himself, and she asked what he was going to say, he'd say something completely off topic or out of the blue. He just didn't think the timing was right.

The more he learned about her, the more he had to question what the hell an incredible woman like her was doing with him. He didn't dare ask. He'd find himself looking at her in complete awe, and when she'd catch him, they'd both blush. The simplest things she did - the way she stretched or yawned, or how she always cradled her coffee mug in both hands - were all the best things he'd ever seen. If she'd let him, he'd see them every day.

So on the eighth day of them being locked in his bedroom, when she suggested they actually do something, she ignored the tempting offer he muttered against her bare collar bone, and stood from the bed.

She saw how his eyes clouded over before she covered herself with one of his shirts, and she raised an eyebrow at him, and all he could do was shrug.

And there was that boyish quality about him, so perfectly on display, that she was sure she'd never get sick of.

"What do you want to do?" he asked, laying back against the pillows as he watched her pull her hair up.

"I want you to take me on a proper date," she said seriously. She turned around and looked at him expectantly as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Oh really?" he asked with a smirk. He'd actually had their first date planned for a while, he just hadn't known when it would be.

The owner of the nicest restaurant in town was the husband of one of his coworkers at the school, and he'd stopped in one day, before he and Peyton even started their 'official' relationship. He asked what the odds were that he'd be able to get a table on short notice, and the man, Craig, had assured him that he would always make room for Lucas. After that, it'd be all up to her. He'd hand over the reigns and let her take charge, because he knew she'd love that.

"Yes," she said, punctuated with a nod. "Tonight."

"OK."

"OK?" she asked.

"Yup," he said simply. "I can't wait to show off my girl."

She smiled at him and shook her head, but inside she was swooning. Statements like those just made it easier to love him completely.

"OK then," she said, walking to the door of the bedroom. "We're going to make breakfast, then I'm going home, and you can pick me up later."

"Peyton, it's noon," he pointed out, gesturing to the clock on the wall. They'd clearly lost track of time that morning.

"Oh," she said, stopping in the doorway to look back at the smirk he was wearing. "Well then, we're going to make lunch."

He laughed again as he watched her step into the hallway, her legs stemming out beneath his tee shirt. He thought it funny and unique and undoubtedly sexy that she wore his tee shirts when they both knew that most women went for their boyfriends' button downs. He'd learned quickly that Peyton was definitely not 'most women'.

When he stepped into the kitchen to see her moving around effortlessly, like she belonged there, he realized that she really did. He wanted her to live with him. Their week had been amazing and he only wanted more. He wouldn't bring it up, but he felt it.

"So," she said when they were seated at the table, "I've got to tell Nathan about us."

"Oh."

She couldn't read the look on his face, and that was a little scary. Usually he was a pretty open book, but she noticed that the topic of his family was the one that seemed to make him close himself off just a little more. He kept promising that someday he and Nathan would talk, but he hadn't made any promises of when that might actually be.

"Are you OK with that?" she asked timidly.

"Yeah," he answered quickly, reaching for her hand over the table. "Yeah, everything else just kind of slips my mind when I'm with you."

"You're so charming," she said, with only a hint of a teasing tone. "But we really should tell someone other than your mom about us."

"You mean Haley," he stated. She nodded and he let out a quick breath. "Yeah. You're right."

They were quiet for a few minutes, just sitting there together with their hands joined, both wondering how their respective conversations were going to go.

"Lucas?" she asked, making him look up at her. "Everything's gonna be alright, right?"

"Yeah," he assured her with a genuine smile. "Yeah, it is."

She took a deep breath and he moved closer to her, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

And somehow, no matter what he said, she believed him. He had no reason to lie to her. He wasn't making things up or only seeing the silver lining, and he wasn't being naive to their situations.

So when he said it was going to be alright, she felt like it really might be.

----

Nathan and Haley spent a few days in his house in Charlotte, closed off from the outside world and exploring their 'new' relationship. Nathan wouldn't have left the bedroom if she hadn't made him, and he'd just smiled innocently and told her that he was just making up for lost time. She couldn't really argue with that.

She watched from the kitchen window as he worked out on his basketball court, and had water waiting for him when he came inside, breathless and drenched in sweat. Every time he finished a workout, he saw that look in her eye and the coy little smile she wore. When he teased her about it, she just shrugged her shoulders and told him he knew how sexy he was.

They ordered takeout or she'd make food, and they'd talk over their meals, falling into that effortless conversation they'd had since the very beginning. He'd make her laugh, and she'd make him say something flirty, and it was all just comfortable.

Haley had almost let those three little words slip a couple times, but covered it well. She assumed he'd be OK with her saying it - he might even say it back - but she didn't know if it was too soon or not, and she didn't want to scare him.

She was painfully aware that he hadn't been single since he was a teenager, and when she'd asked him about it, he just smiled and said he never wanted to be single again. She would have told him to get serious if she didn't know that he _was_ being serious. He somehow always had the perfect words.

Haley was looking after him in all the best ways, without him even asking. She took it upon herself to do laundry and tidy his house, and change the linens. He told her she didn't need to act like his maid, and she told him to just let her do what she did. He tried to argue more, but she placed a hand on her hip and raised an eyebrow, and that stance made him raise his hands in defeat.

In return, he watched over her. If they went anywhere together, he did simple things that any boyfriend would do, but he did them differently, somehow. He held open doors, and placed his hand on the small of her back when he saw men leering at her. He didn't let her pay for a thing, and when she offered, he'd use any means necessary to distract her and slip his credit car instead of hers.

He was watching some random golf game on television, sitting on the sofa in his living room with her legs draped over his. She was reading a book she'd picked up that morning when she'd dragged him to three book stores, searching for a certain edition. She had the book in one hand and a cup of tea in the other, and he was totally distracted by every turn of every page, and every time she twirled the string of the tea bag around her index finger.

"Hales," he said softly as he ran his hand up and down her denim-clad calf.

"Hmm?" she said absently, eyes still fixed on the page.

"Let's go to Tree Hill."

She lowered her book to look at him questioningly, only to see that his facial expression indicated that he was absolutely serious. She closed the book and set it on the table, sensing that this would be a long conversation.

"We have to face it sometime," he said with a shrug.

"You mean face _them_," she countered.

"Well, yeah," he said. "I know Peyton's going to be fine with this."

"I wish I could say the same for Luke," Haley mumbled.

"Well, he's OK with this friendship, right? You and me?"

"Yeah, but he knew we weren't sleeping together," she said with a laugh.

"Not for lack of trying," he said with a smirk, making her reach over and swat his arm. "Look, you said it yourself that he doesn't hate me, right?"

"No, he doesn't hate you," she said softly. "But he worries about me."

"So do I," Nathan said, shrugging his shoulders. "He has nothing to worry about where I'm concerned."

"OK, I know that, and you know that..."

"He'll know it, too," he insisted. "I promise."

"So you're going to make an effort?" she asked quietly.

"An effort to do what, exactly?"

"Be nice to him! Maybe get to know him a little better," she clarified.

"He's important to you, Hales," he said softly. "So he'll be important to me."

And there she was again, biting her tongue to keep herself from saying she loved him. It was hard to believe that she'd ever _not_ known this side of him. The sensitive man with the reassuring smile and the soulful blue eyes and the most perfectly honest words.

"OK," she said with a smile. "I'll pack my things, and we can go."

He stood up and planted his body in front of hers when she tried to walk past him, and when he leaned down to kiss her, she smiled against his lips. That kiss felt like an assurance that everything was going to be fine. She had to believe it would be.

He drove her car, with her in the passenger seat holding his hand the entire way, and when they pulled into the driveway of her little house, he got out and stretched his arms over his head, revealing a bit of his tanned stomach. He noticed Haley staring and smirked proudly at the look on her face, making her roll her eyes.

He carried their things into her house, and then they said quick goodbyes and started off walking in their intended directions; Lucas' and Peyton's houses respectively.

----

Lucas was getting ready for his evening with Peyton when his best friend stepped into his house and called out for him. She made her way up the stairs and into the bedroom they once shared, to see him putting the finishing touches on his perpetually messy hairstyle.

"Hey Hales," Lucas said happily. "What are you doing here?"

"Saving you from that tie," she said with a laugh, pointing to the blue fabric he'd chosen. "What are you all dressed up for?"

"I uh...I have a thing," he said vaguely.

She moved to the closet and pulled out a simple black silk tie - one that she'd actually bought him - and handed it to him as he undid the one he had on. She looked at him with a raised brow, but he wouldn't meet her eyes, so she didn't press the issue, as much as she really would have loved to. That wasn't why she was there.

"Actually, I have to tell you something," she said nervously, sitting on the bed and waiting for him to respond.

"What's up?" he asked.

"I'm kind of...well, I'm seeing someone," she said quickly.

"Nathan," he said with a smirk.

"What!? How did you...?"

"Haley, please. I know you," he added. "I've seen this coming since I saw you two walking through town giggling like teenagers, like, a month ago."

"Why didn't you say anything?" she asked as she laughed. "I thought you were going to be so mad."

"Why would I be mad?" he asked with a furrowed brow, straightening his tie in the mirror before reaching for his jacket.

"Because he's Nathan," she said, as thought it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Haley, it's cool," he assured her. "If he makes you happy, then I'm all for it."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," he nodded, turning to face her. "Now, how do I look?"

"You look great," she confirmed with a smile. "So really, where are you going?"

"Just dinner," he said, downplaying the significance of the event.

"With Peyton," she said, raising an eyebrow to let him know that he couldn't hide it from her.

"Oh, we know each other _far_ too well," he said with a smile, shaking his head.

"So are you two, like, together?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said, unable to hide the smile that put on his face. "We are."

"OK, this is so freaking weird," she mumbled.

"Very," he said with a laugh.

He thought, for a moment, but not for the first time, about the twisted relationships in their small town. There were a lot of crossed lines and things that should have, by any standards, made things awkward. But they weren't. The only thing he wished was different was his relationship with Nathan, and he had a feeling that relationship would be changing. If Haley, his best friend was dating Nathan, and he was dating Nathan's best friend, they would certainly have to grow closer. He wasn't really sure what to expect from that, but it was something.

"OK, so we're good?" she asked, standing from the bed and grabbing her purse from where she'd dropped it.

"We're good, Hales," he assured her.

"Alright, I'm gonna go. Have fun. Call me tomorrow," she said as she made her way to the door. "Unless you're otherwise occupied."

"Get out of here!" he cried, in response to the joking tone with which she said those last few words.

She winked at him and slipped out the door, leaving him to grab his keys and his wallet before he left to pick up his girlfriend.

He wasn't sure he'd ever get sick of calling her that.

He felt a weight had been lifted off his shoulders knowing that not only did Haley not have a problem with him dating Peyton, but that she was happy herself.

----

"Peyton!" Nathan called as he stepped into Peyton's house. Well, Peyton's father's house, where she was living.

"In my bedroom!" she called down the hall.

He made his way to where she was, to see that her door was open. It had been a while since he saw her all dressed up, so seeing her in a black satin knee-length dress, her hair swept up and her makeup flawless.

"Wow," he muttered, making her spin around and look at him. "You look great."

"Thanks," she said with a smile. "How are you?"

"I'm good," he answered happily.

"I'm actually glad you're here. I wanted to talk to you about something." Her tone was nervous, though she wasn't entirely sure why. Well, she _was_ entirely sure why, she just didn't _want_ to be nervous.

"About the fact that you're so _obviously_ hooking up with Lucas?" he asked with a smirk as he lay down on her bed.

"What!?" she cried. "How did you...?"

"I'm not stupid," he said as he laughed. "You two are like, attached at the hip. And...wow, that is _not_ a visual I wanted."

"OK, can we _not_ go there?" she asked as she snickered.

"But you are, right? I mean, you two are together," he inquired.

"Yeah, we are," she confirmed, smiling as she fastened her earrings.

She reached for the necklace she wanted to wear, and handed it to Nathan. He'd always fastened her necklaces for her, and he smiled at her before he stood up to perform the task. He kind of loved that they could still reference their relationship without it being awkward.

"That's great," he said seriously. "Haley says he was always into you."

She'd kind of suspected that since the first time she saw he and Haley sitting at the café, the petite brunette laughing animatedly at something he'd said, and him looking at her in such a way that led Peyton to believe that he had feelings for her. She knew better than to bring it up to him, and so she was just waiting for him to talk to her about it. Once he'd made that comment about Haley, dropping her name into a conversation, she knew she had to take the opportunity to ask him about it.

"Can we talk about you two for a sec?" she asked with a raised brow. "Don't tell me you haven't made your move yet."

"What are you talking about?" he scoffed. "I've been making moves pretty much all along."

She laughed at both the brazen confession and the wolfish grin he was wearing, and just shook her head at him.

"And why does that not surprise me?" she asked teasingly. "But seriously, are you two...?"

"Together? Yeah," he admitted quietly, looking anywhere but her eyes.

She knew that was something he only ever did when he was being completely serious and a bit vulnerable. She knew, then, that he was definitely not just playing around with Haley, and that it was far more than a rebound, not that she ever really suspected that.

"That's great, Nathan," she said seriously, making him look up at her and smile as he nodded.

The doorbell rang, and her eyes went wide, and she turned around to take another look at herself in the mirror.

"Shit. Is that him?" Nathan asked a little worriedly.

"Yeah," she said, completely confused as to why he was so nervous. _She_ was nervous. This was her first official date with Lucas, and she wanted it to be perfect.

"OK." He took a breath and realized that he really didn't have anything to worry about. He and Lucas were adults. Surely, they could run into each other without it being awkward.

"Wait, did you lock the door?" she asked. She rarely did, and Lucas always just walked in.

"Calm down, Peyton," he said with a laugh, realizing that she was scared. "I'll get it."

"Nathan!" she cried, following him out of her room and down the hall. "What are you doing?"

"What? I need to know if this guy's good enough for you," he teased with a smirk.

Before she could protest, he'd pulled the door open to see a surprised Lucas standing on her front porch.

"Uh...Hey," Lucas said with a smirk. He saw Peyton looking completely shocked as she stood behind Nathan.

"What's up, Luke?" Nathan asked, grinning in accomplishment at making the couple uncomfortable.

"OK seriously, you're like an annoying older brother. I can't believe you just did that," Peyton said, making Nathan laugh as she pushed him out of the way to let Lucas inside. "Hi."

"Hi," Lucas said with a laugh, smiling at her.

"Alright, you kids have fun," Nathan sang teasingly. "Be_ safe_."

"Goodbye!" she cried, glaring at him to make him leave when she saw him wiggle his eyebrows at her.

"Later, Luke," Nathan said as he reached for the doorknob.

"Bye, Nathan," Lucas said with a smile. He had to admit that he was amused by Peyton and Nathan's relationship. He waited until Nathan was outside and the door was closed before turning back to Peyton. "OK, first thing's first, you look amazing."

"You're not so bad yourself. I love this tie," she said softly, running her hand down the simple black silk. He made a mental note to thank Haley later.

"You're so gorgeous," he said, almost in a whisper. He said it like had just been killing him not to say it, and her heart fluttered a bit when his eyes met hers.

She leaned forward to kiss him, and his hands gripped her hips tightly. He let out an involuntary whine when she pulled away, making her smirk at him.

"So, Haley just came to see me, too," he announced as she gathered the last of her things to drop into her purse.

"Wow," she said softly. "Seems like they planned that one."

"Kind of crazy," he said absently, pulling the door open for her to walk through before him.

"You OK with them?" she asked seriously.

"Oh, yeah, that's fine," he answered, shrugging his shoulders. "She's happy."

"So's he," she said with a smile, locking the door behind them.

"So am I," he whispered, taking her hands in his as they stood on her porch.

"I'm good, I guess," she said teasingly, making him chuckle and shake his head. "Can I tell you something?"

His heart stopped, wondering what in the world she was about to drop on him. He couldn't even imagine what she was about to say.

"Uh huh," he muttered softly.

"I love you, Lucas. I'm _in_ love with you."

She'd been afraid to say it, but the smile it put on his face was well worth it. So was the relief she'd felt over saying the words.

He pulled her into his arms again, standing there on the front porch before their date had really even begun, and she relaxed in his embrace like she always did.

"I love you, too, Peyton," he spoke into her curls. "So much."

----

Nathan and Haley met up at the River Court when they were finished with their respective conversations. She was sitting on top of the picnic table, laying back on her elbows when he got there. He saw her before she saw him, and he couldn't deny that she was breathtaking. Looking skyward and her hair blowing in the wind, in a simple tank top and a pair of jeans that happened to be his favourite ones on her.

He'd been holding in his feelings, but he didn't want to do it any more, and seeing Lucas and Peyton so obviously happy together, no matter how brief his encounter with the couple was, made him want to secure his own happiness with Haley. He already felt it, but he didn't want to lose it.

He walked to her and moved so he was standing right in front of her, and hovered over her to surprise her with a kiss. She let out a breath and gently pushed him away, sending him a reprimanding glare that he knew she didn't mean.

"You trust me?" he asked before saying anything else.

"What? Of course I do," she said as she sat upright, confusion clear on her face.

"You remember what I said last week?" he asked, taking her hands in his.

"You said a lot of things last week, Nathan," she said sarcastically. He just let out a sigh and rolled his eyes playfully.

His gaze locked with hers, and she was silently pleading with him to let her in on whatever it was he was scheming.

"Marry me," he said softly.

The smile left her face, and she looked at him like he was absolutely insane. She was quiet for a few moments, trying to digest what he'd offered.

It was what she wanted. She couldn't lie to herself and say otherwise. But they hadn't even admitted they loved each other, and he was proposing.

"Nathan..."

"Haley, I love you," he insisted seriously. "I want to be with you forever."

"I love you, too, Nathan," she whispered, looking into those perfect eyes of his, alight with hope and happiness at her words. "But we can't just get married."

"Can't we?" he challenged with a smirk.

That smirk was her kryptonite. She'd wanted to say yes, of course she had. Seeing that smirk just sealed the deal. She looked away for a moment, and her head and heart were screaming at her to just give in to what she so obviously felt so strongly.

Nathan was _the one_ for her.

"Forever?" she asked coyly, searching for unnecessary confirmation.

"Always," he promised, leaning in a little closer to her.

She smiled widely just before he kissed her, then he pulled her off the table so she was standing in front of him, and wrapped her into the tightest hug she'd ever felt.

He couldn't pinpoint a time, ever in his life, when he'd been happier. No basketball game or accomplishment even came close to the feelings he had knowing Haley loved him; knowing she'd be his wife.

She was too good for him, though he knew she'd be mad at him for even thinking it, and he didn't know what she saw in him. Whatever it was, he was glad he possessed it, so long as it gave him her.

And so when she whispered in his ear that she wanted to marry him as soon as humanly possible, his feet were taking them to the closest jewelry store for a couple rings.


	14. Chapter 14

Lucas and Peyton ended the night right back where they'd spent the better part of their week.

His bedroom.

She'd appreciated the effort he had obviously gone to to secure a table at the nicest restaurant in town. They'd eaten expensive food and drank incredible wine, and he'd spoiled her with a specially made dessert. He knew she was a bit of a chocoholic, so he'd put in a special request. When she asked how he'd managed that, he said he wouldn't tell, but she threatened to withhold something that he really, _really_ didn't want to be without, and he had to tell her about his connection to the owner.

She'd chosen just to get coffee and stroll through their little town together after dinner, as opposed to doing something more outwardly romantic. It was perfect for the two of them, and they both knew that. They stopped to kiss or to look out over the river. He'd stand behind her with his hands on her hips and kiss her neck or whisper into her ear.

When they finally made it back to his house, they wasted no time touching and kissing like they'd wanted to all night. Neither knew if it was that they were in the 'honeymoon' stage of their relationship, or if they just simply couldn't keep their hands off each other and that was the way it would always be. No matter, neither was complaining.

They were laying together in half-darkness, a few candles flickering around the room, only wrinkled sheets covering them as they lay in each other's arms.

"Best...first...date...ever," she spoke, between kisses to his neck.

"Baby, it was only _technically_ the first date," he reminded her.

"Either way," she said with a shrug, making him chuckle.

She snuggled into his side and let out a little noise of contentment, and he was pretty sure that if he could have this every day, he'd be just fine. He could feel her drifting off to sleep, but his own mind was racing. She was everything to him already, and he didn't want to be apart from her. Even the few hours that day that they'd spent in separate houses was too much.

"Move in with me," he said out of nowhere.

"What?" she asked with a smirk, pulling away from him and shaking her head.

"Move in with me," he repeated. "I don't want to waste any more time."

"I don't either," she said softly.

"Is that...? Is that a yes?" he asked eagerly, eyes wide and hopeful.

She took a deep breath and studied his face for a moment, wondering how he could be both boyish, and _painfully_ sexy at the same time.

"I love you," she said, leaning in to kiss him. "Yes. It's a yes."

He smiled widely and hooked his arm around her, pulling her so she was mostly on top of him, and he repeated the words back to her. He loved her.

She was his, and she was moving in, and he'd keep her with him forever if she'd let him, and it was all perfect.

----

"Did we just get married?" Haley asked, almost as though she hadn't just lived it.

"Yeah," Nathan said, pulling her against him a little bit more as they lay in bed together. "We did."

She let out a laugh and held up her left hand to look at the simple band it now held. Just a platinum band with diamonds circling it. It was nothing extraordinary, but it was perfect and beautiful, and she loved it.

They'd walked to the only jeweler in town they knew would be open, and she'd insisted that they choose each other's rings. If they picked matching ones, it was meant to be, and if they picked clashing ones, they'd take a bit of time and rethink the timing.

They each chose platinum bands, and she'd nearly teared up when she saw how amazing the ring he'd chosen was. It felt like her, and as soon as he'd seen it, he knew it was the one.

"Haley, I know you deserve more than this," Nathan said seriously, running his thumb over the shiny metal on her hand.

"What?" she asked in shock.

"You deserve more than a five minute ceremony in our jeans in the living room of the justice of the peace's house," he explained, almost sadly.

He wanted to give her everything she ever wanted, and though he hadn't pressured her into anything, he wondered if he should have planned things out a little more.

"Stop it," she demanded. "It was _perfect_."

"I just...I want to give you whatever you want," he said softly.

"Nathan Scott," she said sternly, pulling away from him and clutching the sheet to her chest. "I love you, and I am _so_ happy. I don't want anything other than just _you_."

"I love you, too," he said with a smile. "Haley James _Scott_."

She closed her eyes and smiled widely.

She was a Scott.

----

"How crazy is it that Nathan and Haley are together?" Peyton mused as they got dressed in the morning.

She had a few articles of clothing at his house, and she was dressed in simple denim shorts and a black tank top, walking around his bedroom like she already lived there. Lucas had just pulled his tee shirt over his head, and was watching her as she fastened her necklace and fixed her hair in the mirror. He wanted that every morning.

"It's kind of crazy," he said with a laugh as he made the bed. "You think they're jumping in as fast as we are?"

"Considering it took Nathan a year and a half to even tell me he loved me? No," she said, smirking at him when he laid back on the bed again. "We should all hang out, though."

"Really?" Lucas asked skeptically. "Don't you think that'd be a little...weird?"

"Not really," she said with a shrug of her shoulders. "I mean, yeah, the situation is bizarre, but we're all...friends."

"Except that Nathan and I have hardly spoken in our lives, and you and Haley barely know each other," he pointed out.

"But she's your best friend, and she's important to you," she said timidly. "I want to get to know her."

He could hear what she wasn't saying. She wanted Haley to like her, and worried that she wouldn't. She worried the other girl would think that the relationship Peyton and Lucas shared wasn't what he needed, or that she'd be judged somehow.

He stood up and crossed the room, wrapping his arms around her from behind and burying his face in her neck.

"She's going to love you," he insisted quietly. "Just like I do."

She chuckled and leaned against him, relaxing into his embrace.

"I hope _not_ like you do," she said sarcastically, with a hint of innuendo, making him laugh.

Yeah, maybe that didn't sound quite right. He was the only one who loved her like that.

"_This_ is why," he said, turning her in his arms. "You two have sarcasm, and jokes, and music in common." He kissed her gently and she smiled up at him. "And me."

"It's just...a little...overwhelming," she admitted, averting his gaze. "I mean, you've known her forever, and she probably knows everything about you, and I just..._I_ want to be the one who knows everything about you."

"She doesn't know _every_thing," he insisted, almost too harshly. "And you know a lot of things about me that she doesn't. I kind of..."

"What?" she asked with a furrowed brow.

"I can't believe you're insecure about this," he finished.

She let out a humourless laugh, and he realized that may not have been the best thing to say.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Well, how did you mean it, Luke?" she asked hotly, stepping away from him and crossing her arms.

"I mean that you have nothing to worry about," he insisted, walking towards her again.

He placed his hands on her arms, but she didn't unfold them or change her posture. She let out a sigh, because she knew on some level that he was right.

"I don't tell her everything," he repeated. "And you're the only girl I want to really know me."

She rolled her eyes in defeat, not annoyance, and he smirked at her, knowing he'd won her over again. She should have known he'd smooth things over so quickly. The boy had all the right words.

The scary thing was that the words he said were always honest.

"Nice line," she muttered, making him laugh as he pulled her against him.

"Not a line," he said softly, shaking his head a little.

"I know," she whispered, shifting her head so it was laying comfortably on his shoulder.

It was their first little argument - if it could even be called that - as a proper couple, and it had been resolved quickly, and she loved that. She was used to big blow outs, not little conversations. It was a nice change.

"So let's call them," she said as she pulled away. "Grab lunch or something."

"Yeah?" he asked skeptically, brushing the hair from her face.

She nodded, and he just smiled and leaned in to kiss her. He mumbled that he loved her against her lips, and she kissed him again, finally letting herself wrap her arms around him like she'd wanted to do all along.

So maybe he had been right, and she was a little bit insecure, but she had no doubt that he loved her and wanted to be only with her. She wasn't sure she'd ever felt more at peace than she'd felt when she finally let herself really believe that.

----

"Nathan!" Haley squealed as he grabbed her waist and pulled her back into bed.

She'd just showered and pulled on clothes, and he was in just jeans with no shirt yet, and apparently he couldn't keep his hands to himself.

"This could be considered our honeymoon," he said in a low voice before kissing her neck. "We shouldn't be wearing clothes."

"Except that we already decided..." She stopped talking and took a sharp breath when he found that spot on her neck that she loved, and she could feel him smirking against her skin.

"You gonna finish that thought?" he asked with a grin as he pulled away to look down at her.

"We decided that we need food, and sunlight," she said with a laugh. "You're looking a little pale."

"I'm sure you could find a few ways to put some colour back into my cheeks," he muttered, dipping down to kiss her once again.

"You have this _insane_ ability to make anything into a sexual reference," she said as she laughed. "Get off."

"I'm trying," he murmured against her lips.

"Nathan!"

"OK," he groaned, rolling to the side to let her up.

He watched as she effortlessly pulled her hair up, smiling at how amazing it looked; how amazing _she_ looked in her jeans and dark blue tank top.

"I can't believe you're my wife," he said, almost to himself.

"I can," she said with a smile, looking back over at him. "You said you were going to marry me, and I believed you."

He stood from the bed and reached for her hand, kissing her wedding band for what felt like the millionth time. Neither of them was sick of the gesture. He intertwined their fingers and smiled down at her.

"So what if I say that I'm going to spend the rest of my life making sure you know how much I love you?" he asked with a smirk.

"Mhmm," she hummed when he kissed her.

"And we're going to grow old together in this little town."

"Yeah."

"And have perfect little basketball playing kids," he added with confidence.

"Oh God," she sighed, smiling. The thought of having children with him made her heard flutter a little.

"What?" he asked, fearing that he'd scared her.

"That sounds amazing," she admitted.

"Yeah?" he asked hopefully.

"A little boy," she mused dreamily. "With your eyes. Named James."

"James, huh?" he inquired with a smirk. "James Scott."

She just nodded, overwhelmed with emotion at even the prospect of having his child, and he let out a breathy laugh before he kissed her.

"Come on, let me buy you lunch," he said, taking her hand and leading her to the door of his bedroom.

Her cell rang in her purse and she pulled it out to see that it was Lucas. She shot Nathan an apologetic look and answered.

"Hey...um, yeah, I'm with him...Oh...Yeah, we were just going to get something, so we could meet you guys." She glanced at Nathan who was listening to her with a confused look on his face. "OK, at the café...we'll see you there."

"We're meeting those two for lunch?" Nathan asked with a raised brow.

"I couldn't say no," she insisted, and he shook his head, waving off her concern.

"It's OK. We need to do this," he insisted.

"How are we gonna tell them?" she asked urgently. "Oh my God! We haven't even been together like, two weeks! They're gonna know this has been going on. What if they figure it all out!?"

"Slow down," he said, taking her into his arms. "It'll be fine."

"How do you know that?" she asked quietly.

"I just...do," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "What happened to you believing everything I say?"

"Don't joke," she scolded him. "I really doubt Luke's..."

"What?"

"He'll just be...shocked," she said softly.

"Who cares?" he said seriously.

"_I_ do! He's my best friend," she reminded him.

"He's also your _ex_," he pointed out.

"He's also your _brother_."

"This is fucked up," he muttered. "I don't care if he hates me, I just don't want him to hate you."

She knew he was lying. She knew he did care if Lucas hated him. She knew that Lucas would never hate her, and she suspected Nathan knew that, too.

"You do so care," she insisted. "Nathan, you have a chance to get to know him, and I don't want this...you and me...to get in the way of that."

"It won't," he promised again. "And if Lucas and I want to even consider being...friends, or...whatever...he's going to have to get used to the fact that you and I are married. Because that's not going to change, and nothing is going to get in the way of _us_. Ever."

"Nathan..."

"Nothing, OK?" he said seriously. "Brothers who are exes, or former fiancés dating brothers who are exes."

"This _is_ fucked up," she repeated.

He pulled her against him and slipped his hands beneath the shirt at the small of her back, and he leaned down to kiss her heatedly.

"I _love_ it when you swear," he said in a low voice once he'd pulled away. She laughed, thinking he was joking. He wasn't. "I'm serious. It's _so_ hot. I love that little bit of bad ass in you."

She sighed and shook her head, but she was blushing, and he could only laugh at her reaction.

"OK," she said, walking to the door. "Let's do this, Scott."

"After you...Scott," he said, placing his hands on her hips as he walked behind her.

----

Peyton and Lucas sat side-by-side at a table in the quiet café, with Karen serving a couple other customers and watching the couple as she worked. She noticed that Peyton was visibly nervous, which she thought was understandable. The young woman was wringing a napkin in her hands, effectively tearing it to pieces, while Lucas read the newspaper, seemingly unfazed. He had his arm draped around the back of Peyton's chair, and would look over at her each time she sighed or checked the time.

"Honey, you're stressing _me_ out," Karen said, filling Peyton's glass with water. "I'm worried for my napkin supply."

Lucas laughed, and Peyton shot him a glare to let him know that it wasn't appreciated.

"I'm just.."

"I know, sweetie, but it'll all be OK," Karen said in that soothing, maternal tone. "Haley's wonderful, and very understanding."

"So I've heard," Peyton said seriously, with no traces of sarcasm.

"And if you find yourself in a tight spot, just remind her that she's doing the same thing. Dating your ex," Karen said with a smirk.

"Mom!" Lucas cried, though he was doing his best to hide a smile.

"What?" she asked, shrugging her shoulders. "I was joking. You'll be _fine_."

She squeezed Peyton's shoulder before walking back around the counter, and Peyton turned to Lucas to see him smile. He let out a soft laugh and leaned over to kiss her temple, and she let out a sigh, trying to force herself to relax.

Nathan and Haley were walking down the street, hand in hand, and Haley could sense that Nathan wasn't exactly looking forward to this.

"We had to meet here?" he asked incredulously. "It's like walking into the lion's den."

"Stop it," Haley insisted. "Karen's amazing, and she knew about us before anyone else."

"I know," he said. She'd told him that she had gone to the older woman for advice. "It's just weird."

"Well, you can thank your father for that," she muttered, making him laugh and pull her into his side to kiss the top of her head.

"Yeah. Let's just blame him if they get mad," he said seriously. "I mean, usually everything's somehow his fault anyway."

"Nathan!" she said with a laugh.

"What?" he asked. "If he wants to take credit or all the good things, he can take credit for the bad things, too."

"There aren't going to _be_ any bad things," she insisted as they made it to the door.

They stepped inside and Haley waved to Karen as she led Nathan to the table where Peyton and Lucas were sitting. They said their friendly hellos, and Haley sat across from Lucas, while Nathan sat across from Peyton.

"So, what's good here?" Nathan asked, in an attempt to lighten the tone.

"Everything," Haley and Peyton answered in unison, making them all chuckle.

Nathan had known all along, as he suspected Lucas had known, that the two girls would get along wonderfully. That one word answer to his simple question seemed to solidify that, and he shot Lucas a look, their eyes locking in mutual recognition of the fact.

Nathan lifted his menu, forgetting, and not caring, that his wedding ring was clearly visible to everyone.

"What the hell is this?!" Peyton asked excitedly, grabbing Nathan's left hand to look at the ring. Her eyes met his and her jaw dropped, and he could really only laugh.

"That'd be a wedding ring, Sawyer," he said with a wide smile. "Haley has one, too."

"Shut up!" Peyton squealed.

Haley held up her hand for the couple across from her to see, and Peyton let out another excited little sound before standing and rushing around the table to hug Nathan, then Haley.

Both girls were visibly excited, Nathan noticed, but Lucas was in a stunned silence, and it seemed they all noticed at the same time.

"Luke," Haley said softly, shaking her head. "I know...I know how this must look, but..."

"Haley," he said, almost in a whisper, finally breaking a smile. "Congratulations."

"Yeah?" she asked timidly. "You're not mad?"

"I'm pissed I didn't get to see it," he laughed. "But...you're _married_."

He looked at her with a perfect, best friend-type smile, and she nodded her head, doing her best to hold back her tears when he reached for her hand over the table. Nathan place his hand on her back to comfort her, a move that didn't go unnoticed by Lucas or Peyton.

"How did this happen in a day?" Peyton asked, still in shock.

"Baby," Lucas said with a laugh before reminding her, "we have news, too."

"What?!" Haley asked quickly.

"Peyton's moving in with me," he said happily.

"Oh, dude," Nathan said, shaking his head sympathetically. "Beware of the socks."

"Shut up!" Peyton said, reaching over to swat his arm.

"Socks _everywhere_," Nathan laughed, making Peyton scowl. "And she thinks she can cook, but she can only cook, like, three things."

"Stop it!" the blonde insisted as Lucas and Haley laughed.

"And she steals the covers, but I'm sure you probably already know that," he said slyly.

"I _so_ hate you," she said seriously, glaring at him before turning back to Lucas. "It's not true."

"Yes it is!" Lucas insisted with a chuckle. "Peyt., I picked up, like, five pairs of socks this morning."

"Lucas snores. Loudly," Haley pointed out, making him drop his jaw. "And he never rinses the sink after he shaves. _When_ he shaves."

He shook his head, knowing that his stubble - both on his face and in the sink - was a major point of contention between the two of them.

"And getting him to do _any_ sort of laundry is like fighting a war," she added.

"Haley's obsessive compulsive!" Lucas whined in response to the secrets she just shared. "If all the labels in the fridge aren't facing outward, she'll hit you."

Nathan and Peyton were laughing at the conversation and exchanging glances across the table.

"And the reason I never did laundry, is because she's like a freaking drill sergeant with the way things need to be folded and organized in the basket," he said seriously.

"I am so _barely_ your friend right now," Haley scowled.

Lucas and Haley turned to Peyton, knowing that the only person at the table who hadn't been harassed was Nathan, and the two of them wanted secrets, immediately.

"Um," she stuttered sheepishly. "I wish I had something bad to say, believe me."

"Ha!" Nathan cried with a boyish smile.

"He's really kind of the easiest person to live with," she admitted, scrunching her nose as she looked at Lucas, waiting for his response.

"Wow," Lucas mumbled. "Pro ball player, millionaire, two huge homes...why'd you ever break up with him?"

She tilted her head in admonishment, and leaned over to whisper in his ear, "because I'm in love with you."

Nathan and Haley exchanged a glance over the words they couldn't hear, and smiled at each other. They may have been the newlyweds, but they certainly weren't the only ones in love.

They made it through their meals with more teasing, and Karen crying over Haley getting married, and by the time they were done (Karen wouldn't let them pay her), they all realized they were actually having a really great time.

"What do you say, Nathan?" Lucas said as they all stood. "River Court?"

"That sounds like a challenge," Nathan said pulling open the door for the girls to walk through.

"He's good, Nate," Peyton pointed out, making Lucas smile at her like a proud adolescent.

"He's really good," Haley stated.

"Thanks for the props, but he's the one in the NBA," Lucas scoffed.

They started down the street and Nathan grabbed the ball from the back of his SUV before they made their way to the old court. Haley and Peyton walked a little ahead of Lucas and Nathan, leaving the men to talk ball and coaching while they talked about music and, well, the men.

Once they got there, Haley and Peyton took seats atop the bleachers, watching as Nathan shot the ball from center court, smiling as it went in. It had been a few days since he'd played, and he was excited to be back to where he felt so comfortable.

"Come on, baby," Peyton cheered, clapping her hands. "Let's see some defense."

Haley stayed quiet and smiled as she watched the two most important men in her life face off.

"Hales, a little encouragement, here?" Nathan requested teasingly.

"Look, you had your chance with a cheerleader!" she cried indignantly, making them all laugh. "You'll hear cheering when you win!"

"_If_ he wins," Peyton corrected with a raised eyebrow.

"They're taking this more seriously than we are," Lucas pointed out, loud enough for only he and Nathan to hear.

"It _is_ kind of a big step," Nathan conceded, making Lucas nod his head. Nathan was right, and they both knew it.

"Don't go easy on me," Lucas insisted with a smile. "Bring your A game."

"Luke, I only _have_ an A game," Nathan said, his tone teasing, though they both knew that it was probably also true.

"You girls gonna actually play? Or just gossip all day?" Peyton asked from her place.

"Jesus, we're not together anymore, and still all I catch from you is attitude!" Nathan cried.

"Shoot the damn ball!" she yelled, making them all chuckle again.

They played for far longer than they had intended or expected. They were playing to win by three, and it took them nearly an hour and a half. They'd both shed their shirts, getting far too hot under the late summer sun, and the girls' enthusiasm had waned severely, to the point that they weren't even paying attention to the boys on the court, save for stealing glimpses of their respective mens' bodies.

Lucas shouted at them when he was about to make the shot that, if he hit, would give him the win, and Haley and Peyton shifted their attention to the court.

As soon as the ball left his hands, he knew it was going in, and Peyton jumped up from her place and ran to him when the ball dropped through the chains. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his, and it took him a moment to catch his balance before he could even reciprocate.

Nathan walked to Haley and sat next to her, picking up his tee shirt and draping it over his knee as he hung his head. He wasn't upset that he'd lost to Lucas - the guy was actually a hell of a ball player - he was upset that he'd lost in front of Haley.

"I lost," he said softly.

Haley wrapped her arm around his waist, not caring that he was covered in sweat, and rest her head against his shoulder.

"But you looked damn good doing it," she insisted, making him chuckle. Suddenly losing wasn't so bad, when he had Haley to console him afterward.

"Look at those two," he mused, gesturing towards the couple embracing and laughing on the court.

"Look at all of us," she said softly. He leaned over and kissed the top of her head before she spoke again. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For making an effort with Lucas," she clarified.

"He's actually really cool," he admitted, though he'd pretty much already known that, even before that day.

"This is the best honeymoon ever," she said after a few moments.

"It's too bad you think that," he said, pulling away from her with a mischievous smirk on his lips.

"Nathan Scott, what did you do?" she asked seriously.

"I just...rented us a house in the Caymans," he said, watching her eyes widen and her jaw drop. "We leave on Tuesday."

"Why would you do that?!" she asked seriously, though he could see that she was thrilled.

"I told you, Haley. You deserve..."

His explanation was cut off when she lunged forward and kissed him heatedly, making him laugh against her lips before he kissed her back.

"Whoa," Peyton said with a laugh, looking over at the couple on the sidelines. "Holy PDA."

"Says the girl who just attacked me," Lucas mumbled, earning him a playful glare.

"I think we're all gonna be OK," she said softly, locking eyes with him.

"I think we already are, Peyton," he insisted seriously, making her smile.

She leaned up and kissed him again, and then she spoke in a low voice, telling him that she couldn't wait to get him home and properly reward him for the win.

The two couples went their separate ways a few minutes later, with Nathan and Haley promising to stop at Lucas' and say goodbye before they left for their trip, and Peyton threatening Nathan with bodily harm if he didn't bring her back something good.

As they were walking away, Lucas with his tee shirt tucked into the back pocket of his jeans, and Peyton with her arm wrapped around his waist, she realized that they really were already better than just OK.

**----**

**A/N:** Just to give you fair warning, the next chapter will be the last one.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N:** Here's the last chapter. Thanks you all so much for sticking with it!

**----**

Three months after that first day the two couples spent together for the first time, they were near inseparable when Nathan wasn't on the road. Lucas and Peyton would head to Charlotte and have dinner with Nathan and Haley at their house there, or if Nathan had a break in his schedule - which was rare - he'd spend time with them in Tree Hill. It was to the point where Peyton and Haley were almost best friends, though neither could replace Brooke or Lucas for the other, and Nathan and Lucas had started referring to each other as 'brother'.

Peyton's club had opened, after a lot of construction, staffing, and decorating headaches. She'd taken it all in stride, and Lucas watched her do it, and she was amazing. She named it The Arts Club, and hung the work of local artists on the walls, and built a stage for live performances. It was an instant success, and she was the only one surprised by that.

Haley continued to teach at Tree Hill High, though it became increasingly harder to be away from Nathan for that amount of time. She was thankful that his team was so close, but it still felt too far away. No one other than Nathan knew that she had applied to some jobs in Charlotte for the following year. She sold her little house, making everyone laugh at her for barely getting settled, then moving again. But she lived at the beach house under Nathan's insistence, and she really hadn't argued it anyway.

Lucas was in the process of editing his first novel, which had come as a surprise to everyone but Peyton. He'd found a publisher in Atlanta who he trusted, and was assigned to a great editor, and the process was going more smoothly than he could have hoped for. He was still coaching, and his team was off to a 4-0 start, which was certainly a nice surprise.

Nathan was named the captain of his team, and was already leading the league in scoring. His team was off to an incredible start as well, and Nathan was drawing comparisons to some of the greatest players to ever play the game. It was widely accepted that he would be the one to lead the Bobcats to a championship, should they ever win one. Haley beamed with pride every time she was in the high school gym and saw his retired number. He was more than a little amazed - along with feeling certain other things - when he came home from a three game road trip and found a little tattoo at the small of her back. Two little numbers that meant the world to the both of them.

Peyton was in her office at the club one Saturday, sorting through the paperwork from the night before, when her phone rang. She saw that it was Haley and answered with a smile.

"Hey, foxy," she chirped happily.

"Hey. Are you busy?" Haley asked quickly.

"Um...not really," Peyton lied. She could sense there was something going on, and didn't want to give Haley a reason not to tell her.

"Can you meet me at my place?" Haley inquired. It almost sounded like she was begging.

"Yeah, of course. I'll be right there," Peyton said. She was already standing and had grabbed her bag and her jacket. Something was going on, and she wasn't about to waste any time finding out what it was.

----

Nathan had only a short morning practice in Charlotte before heading out to Tree Hill for a day and a half with his wife, and he was surprised to get a call from Lucas, telling him that he was in Charlotte and he wanted to meet up. It was more than just a little odd for Lucas to be there, knowing how much he loved his little town, and even more strange that Peyton wasn't with him.

Nathan got to the coffee shop they'd agreed to meet at, and Lucas laughed at him for wearing a hat and sunglasses, but Nathan just rolled his eyes. They both knew it wasn't the easiest thing for him to just stroll around the city.

They'd all gone out to dinner one time, stupidly, and it was fodder for the press for three days. Once people realized that Haley was his wife, and that he still had a friendship with his ex-fiancé, there was even more speculation around his relationships. But the four of them took it all in stride, and the only person who really cared was Dan, and they all knew that was just because he felt threatened by Lucas and Nathan's newfound relationship.

"So what's going on?" Nathan asked as he waited to order himself a drink.

"I need your help with something," Lucas said cryptically.

"Not so informative," Nathan said with a furrowed brow, turning to his brother.

"Just...come with me," Lucas insisted. "I'll explain everything."

----

Peyton walked into Nathan and Haley's house without knocking, just like she always did, and just like Haley always did at Peyton and Lucas' place. She stepped through to the living room to find Haley sitting on the sofa, reading a magazine with a glass of water in front of her. Considering how Haley had sounded on the phone, Peyton's mind was put at ease to see her looking so relaxed.

"Hey," Haley said once she saw her friend. "Thanks for coming over."

"Yeah, no problem," Peyton said, dropping her things on the chair before sitting next to Haley on the sofa. "What's going on."

"I just...have something that I need to tell you," Haley said nervously, tucking a leg beneath her as she turned to face Peyton. "Well, something that I need to tell...anyone. I just need to get it out of where it exists in just my head, because maybe it's not real until I say it out loud and..."

"Haley," Peyton said with a laugh, placing her hand on her friend's arm. "What's going on?"

"It's...scary and a big deal," Haley said, and Peyton's eyes went wide, obviously figuring out the news before Haley had really said the words. "I'm pregnant."

Peyton covered her mouth with her hand, and couldn't stop the tears forming in her eyes.

"Congratulations," she managed, though she was very close to being unable to speak.

"Yeah?"

"What?" Peyton asked in surprise. "Of course! You're having a baby!"

"I just...with everything...didn't know how you'd feel," Haley said nervously.

"I feel like one of my closest friends in the world is going to be a _mommy_," Peyton said with a smile.

Haley leaned forward and the two women hugged each other tightly.

"I'm scared," Haley admitted quietly.

"Honey, you have _nothing_ to be scared about. This is _good_ news," Peyton said, pulling away to look at her friend with a soft smile. "What does Nathan think?"

"I kind of haven't told him yet?" Haley said, forming the statement like a question as she waited for reaction from her husband's best friend.

All she got was a laugh.

"Well, have you two talked about kids before?" Peyton asked, though she was sure she knew the answer.

"Yeah, once or twice, but there was never a timeline," Haley said seriously. "I just don't want him to...I don't know. I just hope he doesn't think it's too soon or something."

"He won't care," Peyton insisted as she shook her head. "As long as you give him a son who can dunk a basketball."

Haley let out a tearful laugh, knowing that Nathan would definitely love that.

"Haley, he's going to be happy," Peyton said again, just to reassure Haley.

The brunette took a deep breath and closed her eyes and nodded her head. She knew that. She had just needed to hear it from someone else, too.

"And Lucas and I will be awesome Godparents, for the record," she said with a laugh, making Haley let out a loud chuckle. "What!? You can be ours!"

"You two are so going to have like, a whole gaggle of kids," Haley teased. "And somehow, I think Lucas would be just fine if you got a start on that right now."

"Well, let's wait until there's a ring on the finger, OK?" Peyton said, shaking her head.

Haley just smiled at the blonde, recalling her conversation with Lucas from the day before.

----

"God, nobody better see me doing this, or it'll spark a bunch of rumors that I'm gay," Nathan muttered as they stood at the counter of a jewelry store.

"Dude, seriously," Lucas scoffed.

"Don't you think it's just a _little_ weird that I'm helping my ex-fiancé's new boyfriend pick out an engagement ring?" Nathan asked with a furrowed brow.

"Yes, it definitely is," Lucas agreed, turning to face Nathan. "But you're also helping your brother pick out an engagement ring for the love of his life. So...stop complaining."

Nathan let out a laugh and nodded his head, and turned his attention back to the vast selection of rings in the case before them.

"What do you think?" Lucas asked as they both started at the diamonds, both clearly overwhelmed.

"I don't know, man," Nathan said honestly. "There are a lot of rings in here."

"I want something that feels like her, you know? Like, I don't want a huge solitaire diamond or something," Lucas said without really thinking. He turned to Nathan with an apologetic look, and the Nathan could only laugh. "Sorry."

"Whatever," Nathan said, waving off Lucas' concern. "Just because she accepted my ring doesn't mean it was the right one for her."

They moved on to the next case, and Lucas asked the salesperson to see a few options while Nathan stood, watching Lucas' obvious worry about choosing the perfect ring. He had to smile at how serious Lucas was taking this task. Peyton was Nathan's best friend, and though he didn't need the reminders of how well Lucas treated her, he still liked the confirmation every once in a while. He assumed the same could be said for Lucas and Haley's friendship.

Lucas didn't want to mess around. Peyton was the most important thing in the world to him, and she deserved the perfect ring, and the perfect proposal, and he fully intended to give her both.

"Know what's weird?" Nathan asked after a few minutes. "I've done this way too many times."

"Well, _one_ too many," Lucas corrected. "Unless you were engaged before Peyton."

"No, but I did give her a couple little rings before the engagement ring," Nathan said. "I had to woo her with jewelry more often than I'd like to admit."

"I've seen the collection," Lucas said with a laugh. Peyton had kept all the things Nathan had given her, and Lucas didn't have any problem with that. She didn't wear them, she just had them.

"So does Haley know? That you're buying a ring, I mean," Nathan asked.

"I talked to her yesterday, yeah," Lucas said absently. "That's it."

He pointed to a very simple, very perfect diamond ring, and as soon as Nathan saw it, he clapped his brother on the back and smiled. It was perfect, and they both knew it.

It was a platinum band with a princess cut diamond in the center and two smaller diamonds of the same cut flanking it. It was traditional, but still modern. Classic and beautiful but just a little bit edgy.

That was the ring.

----

Nathan hadn't seen Haley in five days, and it was killing him. He hated being away from her, and he knew she hated it, too, but there was nothing either of them could do about his schedule, other than make the best of the time they had together.

So he picked up a bouquet of flowers when he got to Tree Hill in the evening, after his day of ring shopping with Lucas. He entered the house to find Haley curled up on the sofa, her hands clutching a tattered paperback, and a blanket draped loosely over her. She looked absolutely beautiful, and he had to smile at the sight of her.

He quickly walked over and knelt next to the sofa and leaned forward to press a kiss to her forehead, and she took a deep breath and closed her book. She had missed those little kisses entirely too much in those five days.

"Hi," she said softly.

"Hi," he echoed. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too," she said softly, smiling at him.

"I got these for you," he said, holding up the flowers.

"They're beautiful," she insisted, sitting up on the sofa so he could take the place next to her.

He didn't, though. He just lifted himself onto the coffee table and took her hands in his, as though he'd just gone too long without holding her hands, and he just needed to do it.

"I have something for you, too," she said. He could tell she was nervous, and that scared him a little bit.

"What?" he asked, unable to stop his voice from wavering.

"Are you really OK with the name James for a boy?" she asked with a smirk. She watched his eyes widen as he clued into what she was saying.

"Are you...? Are you serious?" he asked excitedly. She just nodded, and he moved onto the couch to pull her into his arms when he saw the tears dancing in her eyes.

"Are you happy?" she asked with her face buried in his shoulder.

"You have no idea," he sighed, holding her just a little tighter. "We're having a baby, Haley."

"Yeah," she said as she pulled away from him. "We are."

"I love you so much," he said needlessly. She just smiled before he leaned forward and kissed her. "So much."

"You better," she warned once they'd parted. "This kid's probably going to be six feet tall when he's born."

"Oh, I hope so," he teased, kissing her forehead and pulling her against him again.

"I love you, too," she said softly as she leaned against his chest. "I'm glad you're happy."

"How could I not be?" he asked. She could hear the smile he was wearing, and she closed her eyes for a moment in relief. "I have a beautiful wife who's going to give me a beautiful child. I'm...thrilled."

She let out a sigh and he held her closer, and he realized that his life was absolutely perfect. His career was the last thing he was thinking about, for once in his life, and all he cared about was the woman in his arms, and the child that was growing beneath the palm of his hand when he rest it on her stomach.

Haley placed her hand over Nathan's, and she wondered how, even a year earlier, this man was nearly a stranger. She couldn't even imagine not knowing him now. She got the feeling that was something she'd never have to worry about.

----

When Lucas stepped into his house, it was eerily quiet.

Since Peyton moved in, there was always music playing, or she was tapping out a rhythm, or cooking something, or she and Haley were talking in the kitchen. Very, very rarely when he came home to her, was the house so silent.

So, of course, he was immediately worried and hastily dropped his jacket on the floor by the door.

But when he stepped into the living room and saw her, fast asleep on the sofa with a cold cup of tea on the table and his favourite book open and resting on her stomach, not only was he relieved, but he was also overcome with love for the woman.

She'd stormed into his life and taken over everything, and he absolutely loved everything about that. The way their relationship developed was completely backwards and strange and unorthodox, but he thought that was just a reflection on the two of them.

They weren't perfect. They argued over stupid things, but their fights were resolved quickly, and she'd be in his arms within minutes of the confrontation. They joked with each other like best friends would, and they were fiercely protective over one another. His explanation was that it took him long enough to finally get her, and he wasn't about to let anything happen to her.

He loved that little look of anger she got in her eye when she noticed another woman looking at him in 'appreciation'. He adored that she rarely held his hand in public, instead choosing to wrap her arm around his waist, or tuck her hand into the back pocket of his jeans if she was feeling extra flirtatious. He loved how her left hand would rest on his shoulder as he drove, and how she'd read all the books in his collection that she hadn't read yet.

He had a big, special, well-thought-out proposal in mind. He was going to take her to the high school gym, where he first _really_ started falling for her, and retell some of his favourite moments with her and tell her why he wanted to marry her.

But watching her then, with her hair splayed on the cushion and her left hand laying so perfectly over the book on her stomach, he realized that none of that was necessary.

He took the box out of his pocket, and took the ring out of the box, and he knelt beside her. He took her hand in his and carefully slid the ring onto her finger. He held her hand while she stirred awake, only letting it go when she tugged it away to wipe her eye.

She noticed immediately that there was something new on her hand.

Her eyes flew up to meet his, and he just smiled at her as she looked from him and back to the ring.

"Luke..."

"Marry me."

It was a whispered demand, and she hadn't ever heard something so perfect.

She looked back up at him with her chin trembling, and she nodded at him. Her voice wouldn't work since there was a lump stuck in her throat, and when he climbed onto the sofa and on top of her, she could only smile as she let the tears slip from her eyes.

He wove the fingers of his right hand with her left hand, and brushed away her tears with his free one.

"I love you," he insisted seriously.

"I love you, too."

He leaned down to kiss her, and she let out a laugh as soon as their lips met.

"What?" he asked with a smile.

"Best proposal ever," she whispered, making him chuckle.

"Last proposal ever," he warned with a raised brow.

"Yes," she promised. She leaned up to kiss him again, confirming that she was thrilled and didn't want anyone other than him for the rest of her life. "The ring is beautiful."

"You like it?" he asked, releasing her hand so she could look at the ring again.

"It's perfect," she insisted, placing her hand on his cheek and drawing his face to hers to kiss him again. "You're perfect." She kissed him once more. "We're perfect."

If you asked him, just about everything was perfect.

----

"So how do you think he's doing it?" Haley asked with a giddy smile as she watched Nathan prepare the dinner he promised to make her.

She was perched atop the counter and proving to be the perfect distraction for him. Every time he even looked at her, he wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her. And that's exactly what he did, almost every time.

"All he said was that he had a plan," Nathan said with a smile and a shrug of his shoulders. "He wouldn't tell me anything other than that."

"What does the ring look like?" she asked excitedly. "NO! Don't tell me! I want it to be a surprise."

"Calm down, Haley," he said with a laugh. "You getting all girly and crazy can't be good for the baby."

"Shut up!" she cried, tossing a dish towel at him.

He crossed the kitchen as he laughed, and stood between her knees, placing his hands on her hips.

"You can't say that every time I do something you don't like," she said as she placed her arms around his neck.

"I like everything you do," he insisted before leaning forward to kiss her.

They heard the front door open just as they'd parted, and Nathan turned so he was in the same position, but his back was to Haley so he could see who was visiting them. Haley still had her arms around him, running her hands over his chest as she squeezed his torso with her knees.

"Easy, girl," he mumbled, making her laugh.

Lucas and Peyton walked into the kitchen hand in hand, wearing huge smiles. Nathan and Haley, of course, already knew what those smiles indicated, but they still wanted the confirmation.

"We're engaged!" Peyton cried happily. Lucas had told her that Nathan and Haley were already aware that he was proposing, and she kind of loved that they were all that close.

"We're pregnant!" Haley said, mimicking Peyton's tone.

"You're...what?" Lucas asked with wide eyes.

Haley scrunched her nose as she was known to do, and rest her chin on Nathan's shoulder as her husband nodded his head.

"Haley!" Lucas said happily, walking over to her.

Nathan moved out of the way so Lucas could hug and congratulate his best friend, and Nathan walked over to pull Peyton into his arms and congratulate her, too.

"Your good news always trumps our good news," Lucas pointed out as he held Haley, making them all laugh a little bit.

"It's not better, it's just different," Haley insisted, making him smile and nod his head.

Peyton and Haley then hugged, and Nathan and Lucas shook hands and did that manly hug thing that the girls always made fun of.

"Congrats, big brother," Nathan said sincerely.

"You too," Lucas said with a smile. "Good day for the Scotts."

"And there'll soon be two more of us," Haley said, holding both Peyton's hand and her own stomach.

"Wow," Peyton sighed, unable to keep herself from crying for what felt like the hundredth time that day.

"Stay for dinner!" Nathan insisted, gesturing to the feast he was preparing. "There's plenty. Luke, you want a beer? Or...I have Champagne."

"Champagne!" Peyton said excitedly, making them all laugh. "And ginger ale for the preggo."

Lucas sat back and watched as Nathan popped the cork and filled their glasses, wondering how they were all so blessed to have found these lives. The four of them had no business even being friends, let alone having the relationships they had. His best friend was blissfully happy, he had a great relationship with his brother, he had a beautiful fiancé who he was going to love forever.

He took the Champagne flute that was handed to him, and he raised it in the air.

"To family," Lucas said sincerely, casting glances to every one of the people before him.

"To family," Nathan echoed, kissing Haley's temple as Peyton wrapped her arm around Lucas' waist.

They all clinked their glasses together and took sips of their respective drinks, and then Peyton and Haley started jabbering about the ring, and Nathan and Lucas stepped outside to fire up the grill.

Each of them was thinking that this was their family, and knowing that whatever happened, they'd be alright. If they could get through all they'd been through and still be so close, nothing was going to change that now.

So, months later, Haley would serve as a very pregnant bridesmaid, and Nathan would be Lucas' best man at the small wedding that had most of the attendees in tears.

And when James Lucas Scott was born, Lucas and Peyton were named Godparents to the perfect little boy.

And when Lucas and Peyton announced that they were expecting, Haley cried, and Nathan insisted that if it was a boy, his name had better be in there somewhere.

It was a family. A very strange family, with a bizarre history and a lot of twists and turns.

But it worked.

_**-Fin-**_


End file.
